In an artist's rendering, a red giant star and white dwarf star circle each other. Material ejected from the red giant gathers and heats in the white dwarf, catalyzing a bright explosion. (NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

A Rare Nova Explosion Will Soon Bring a 'New Star' to the Night Sky—How to Catch a Glimpse

In an event that occurs only once every 80 years, a distant remnant of a star will grow much brighter, briefly becoming visible to Earth

Will Sullivan

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11-Year-Old Uncovers Fossils of Giant Ichthyosaur in England, the Largest Marine Reptile Ever Found, Scientists Say

What You Need to Know About China's Terra-Cotta Warriors and the First Qin Emperor

THERE’S MORE TO THAT PODCAST

A Fresh Understanding of the World We All Inhabit

Overdue Book Returned to Colorado Library After 105 Years

How to Watch the Brilliant Lyrid Meteor Shower This Month

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Archaeologists in Egypt Unearth 4,300-Year-Old Tomb of Man Who Handled His Pharaoh’s ‘Secret Documents’

How Did Ötzi the Iceman Get His Tattoos? Archaeologists and Tattoo Artists Unravel the Mystery

A Study for the Portrait Winston Churchill Famously Abhorred Is for Sale

SMITHSONIAN VOICES

How the Tobacco Industry Lured Customers with Baseball Cards

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Lost Silent Film Featuring Clara Bow Discovered in a $20 Box of Old Reels

See a Restored Ancient Roman Helmet—and Two Shiny New Replicas

On this day in 1909, Joan of Arc received beatification—the second stage of becoming a saint—from the Roman Catholic Church in a Sunday ceremony. She was canonized 11 years later.

Learn more about how she led a small force of troops to the city of Orléans, which was under siege by the English during the Hundred Years' War, bringing France to victory.

Volcano

© Luisa lynch