Meteors

Lot 62, Willamette Meteorite Slice: The 15.6 ton Willamette Meteorite is probably the largest meteor ever found the continental United States. Discovered in Oregon in 1902 and exhibited at the 1905 World’s Fair in Portland, it eventually ended up in the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In 1990, Oregon and a coalition of Native Americans sued to get the meteor back. They lost, but the museum agreed to never cut the meteor again, making this 1.15 pound slice incredibly rare

Sneak a Peek at the Multi-Million Dollar Meteorites Soon up for Sale

Christie's is auctioning off dozens of rare and important meteorites, including pieces of the rock that exploded over Russia in 2013

Meteorites embedded in ice sheets that run into the Transantarctic mountains can work their way to the surface, making it easier for scientists to collect these fragmented space rocks.

Iron Meteorites Play Hide-and-Seek Under Antarctic Ice

Meteorites give scientists a glimpse into our early solar system, but the sun's rays and melting ice may make these extraterestrial crumbs harder to find

A meteorite discovered in the Australian ouback on New Year's Eve.

4.5 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Found in the Australian Desert

This 3.7 pound rock could help scientists learn about Earth's origins

Geminid meteors streak across the sky behind a barn in western Iowa.

Catch a Glimpse of the Comet Catalina and the Geminid Meteor Shower

The meteor shower peaks next week as comet Catalina gets closer throughout the month

Orion's Return, Falling Fireballs and Other Treats in November's Night Skies

A constellation rises as the Leonid and Taurid Meteor Showers return

The Draconid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week

Clear skies and little moonlight make for great meteor watching

Watch the Perseids Peak This Week

Summer's stunning meteor shower is sure to please stargazers

An artist's rendition of an asteroid impact.

Largest Asteroid Crater Ever Discovered Underground in Australia

Deep in Earth’s mantle, scientists find evidence of a colossal impact that could reveal new information about Earth’s history

This false-color composite image shows meteors streaking through the skies over NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., on the night of Jan. 3-4, 2012.

Ring in 2015 With the Quadrantid Meteor Shower

The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks this weekend

One of the 4,700-year-old impact craters at Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve in Australia.

To Find Meteorites, Listen to the Legends of Australian Aborigines

Oral traditions may have preserved records of impacts over thousands of years and could lead to fresh scientific discoveries

The projected path of asteroid 2014 RC past Earth on September 7, 2014

Assumed Asteroid Remnant Leaves Crater in Nicaragua

A small rock from a passing asteroid left a crater in Nicaragua

A Perseid streaks across the sky over the archaeological site Stobi in modern-day Macedonia

The Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

Watch the remains of comet Swift-Tuttle burn up in the atmosphere

There are no photos of the never-before-seen meteor shower yet, obviously, so here's a pretty one from the Geminids in 2011.

Friday Night Will Be the First And Last Chance to See an Entirely New Meteor "Storm"

A new meteor shower should take place overnight from May 23 to May 24

A Lyrid meteor as seen from Oregon in 2012

Look Up Tonight As the Lyrid Meteor Shower Hits Its Peak

Look to the northeast tonight to catch the peak of the annual meteor shower

According to mineralogist Jeffrey E. Post, having the Hope Diamond is like having a black polished table in your living room—every bit of dust shows.

Why Do Meteor Showers Occur About the Same Time Every Year and Other Questions From Our Readers

In the latest edition of Ask Smithsonian, we sent your burning questions to the Institution's curators

None

Meteor Shower Rewards Early Risers Tomorrow

None

Mining for Meteorites

As prices skyrocket, gonzo collectors are combing the globe for these celestial fragments—and riling researchers

Page 5 of 5