Explorers

Curasub commissioner/owner Adriaan Schrier and lead DROP scientist Carole Baldwin aboard the custom-built submersible.

How a Team of Submersible-Bound Scientists Redefined Reef Ecosystems

In tropical Curaçao, Smithsonian researchers are constantly confronting the unknown

Elusive Deep-Sea Anglerfish Seen Mating for the First Time

The male clamps down onto his female partner, their tissue and circulatory systems fusing together for life

Wreck of U.S.S. Juneau Discovered in the Solomon Islands

The ship was known as the grave of the five Sullivan Brothers who died aboard it during the Battle of Guadalcanal

A statue of York with Lewis and Clark in Great Falls, Montana.

York Explored the West With Lewis and Clark, but His Freedom Wouldn't Come Until Decades Later

In some ways, he encountered a world unavailable to the enslaved. But in others, the journey was rife with danger and degradation

Thismia neptunis

After 150 Years, This Bizarre Plant Was Rediscovered in Malaysia

<em>Thismia neptunis</em> spends most of its life underground, only making a rare appearance to bloom

Wreck of Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. <i>Lexington</i> Found 76 Years After It Was Scuttled in Battle

The ship was sunk by an American destroyer so it couldn't be captured in the Battle of Coral Sea, considered to be the first carrier battle in history

This Newly Digitized 16th-Century Planisphere Is the Largest-Known Early Map

Explore continents, islands and unicorns with scholar Urbano Monte's epic map that's been digitally pieced together by Stanford’s David Rumsey Map Center

David Fairchild demonstrates a new crop spraying technique in 1889.

America’s First “Food Spy” Traveled the World Hunting for Exotic Crops

A new book details the life of adventurer-botanist David Fairchild

“This winter travel is a new and bold venture,” Scott wrote as his men trudged off to Cape Crozier.

The Daring Journey Across Antarctica That Became a Nightmare

Everyone knows about Robert Scott’s doomed race to the South Pole in 1911. But on that same expedition three of his men made a death-defying trip

Natalie Batalha

Meet Natalie Batalha, the Explorer Who's Searching for Planets Across the Universe

The Kepler mission's project scientist, she has guided the discovery of thousands of planets

Conservationists Give New Life to 350-Year-Old Map of Australia

Created in 1663, the map reflects early knowledge of a mysterious continent

The astrolabe is a rare and highly sophisticated navigational tool.

Rare Mariner’s Astrolabe Found in Shipwreck Near Oman

Contrary to some reports, it may not be the earliest-known marine navigational tool—but it's still a spectacular find

Josephine Peary, wife of the legendary Arctic explorer Robert Peary, wears a parka in 1892

Explore the High Fashion of Exploration

From the Arctic to the Moon, a new exhibit shows how the outfits of exploration have impacted the outfits of the runway

An image from Cassini's first dive through the gap between Saturn and its rings in April.

What Cassini's Daring Dives Have Taught Us About Saturn

Before the probe's final plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere, here’s a look back at what we’ve learned so far

This illustration shows NASA's Cassini Spacecraft above Saturn's northern hemisphere.

Celebrate Cassini's Historic Voyage in Eight Incredible Images

After 13 years of exploration, one of NASA's most successful probes will crash into Saturn's atmosphere

Frozen waterfalls inside Austria's Eisriesenwelt.

Descend into the World’s Iciest Gateway to Hell

Austria's Eisriesenwelt, the world's largest ice cave, mixes science with folklore

The airship Italia

Flying to the North Pole in an Airship Was Easy. Returning Wouldn’t Be So Easy

It would take an international icon to toss aside a bitter rivalry to help a crew in need

The Mackenzie (Dehcho) River is the second-largest river system in North America.

How One Quest for the Northwest Passage Ended at the Icy Mouth of Disappointment River

The Mackenzie River, as it's know today, is North America's second-largest river system–but it wasn't what its namesake was looking for

John Dee was an accomplished mathematician, but he also said he owned a stone (in his right hand) that was given to him by angels. In Elizabethan England, that wasn't all that odd.

John Dee’s Life Shows Science’s Magical Roots

His life shows a time when science and magic intersected–even for scientists

A scuba diver swims in the coral reefs of Palau. Beneath the depths that humans can dive, natural wonder and a better understanding of our planet awaits.

Why The First Complete Map of the Ocean Floor Is Stirring Controversial Waters

Charting these watery depths could transform oceanography. It could also aid deep sea miners looking for profit

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