Latest Smithsonian Stories

In the outer reaches of our solar system lies a mysterious region far more remote and difficult to explore than the Australian outback. It remains the only part of our solar system not visited by spacecraft. Called the Kuiper Belt, this area beyond Neptune is home to the dwarf planets Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea. It also harbors thousands of smaller objects that form a second, icy asteroid belt (or more appropriately, comet belt). In this realm of perpetual twilight, the distant sun...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will open "R.C. Gorman: Early Prints and Drawings, 1966-1974," an exhibition of 28 drawings and lithographs by internationally renowned Navajo artist R.C. Gorman Jan. 13, 2011. The exhibition will represent his early work with the female form and the Indian "madonnas" that later brought him global acclaim. The exhibition will remain on view in the second-level Sealaska Gallery...

A giant marabou stork has been found on an island that was once home to human-like "hobbits."Fossils of the stork were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, which is a place that became famous for many discoveries like the Homo floresiensis, a hominin species related to modern humans. Researchers say that the stork may have been capable of hunting and eating juvenile members of this hominid species. The finding also helps explain how prehistoric wildlife adapted to living...

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Designing Media, written by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Director Bill Moggridge and published by MIT Press Nov. 29, examines connections between old and new media. In his book, Moggridge describes the changing media landscape and the growth of new patterns of media consumption. The long-dominant forms--television, radio, newspapers, magazines and books--have had to respond to emergent digital media. Newspapers have interactive websites,...

Dr. Brian Geoffrey Marsden passed away Thursday, Nov. 18 at the age of 73 following a prolonged illness. He was a Supervisory Astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Director Emeritus of the Minor Planet Center."Brian was one of the most influential comet investigators of the twentieth century," said Charles Alcock, Director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, "and definitely one of the most colorful!"Dr. Marsden specialized in celestial...

As frogs around the world continue to disappear"”many killed by a rapidly spreading disease called chytridiomycosis, which attacks the skin cells of amphibians"”one critically endangered species has received an encouraging boost. Although the La Loma tree frog, Hyloscirtus colymba, is notoriously difficult to care for in captivity, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is the first to successfully breed this species."We are some of the first researchers to attempt to breed...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will launch its online edition of "The William Steinway Diary" in December to coincide with a special display of the diary that will provide a glimpse into the famous piano manufacturer's life and one of the most dynamic periods in American history. "A Gateway to the 19th Century: The William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896" will be on view in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery from Dec....

First Major U.S. Museum Exhibition of Sonia Delaunay's Work in 30 Years NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will present the exhibition "Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay," from March 18, 2011, to June 5, 2011. Organized by Susan Brown, assistant curator, and Matilda McQuaid, deputy curatorial director, the exhibition will feature Sonia Delaunay's designs for textiles and fashion in the 1920s through the...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following event was announced by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History WHAT: In commemoration of Veterans Day 2010, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and Smithsonian Gardens will conduct a special ceremony in collaboration with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to dedicate an oak sapling to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor. WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9:30 a.m. WHERE: National Museum of...

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels" examines the renowned jewelry firm's significant historical contributions to jewelry design and design innovation, particularly during the 20th century. Organized by Sarah Coffin, curator and head of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department, the exhibition opens Feb. 18 and will run through June 5, 2011. Since its 1906 opening on the Place Vendome in Paris, Van Cleef &...