Our Planet

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This Week’s Breathtaking Aurora Borealis

Recent solar storms have triggered northern lights of unprecedented color and intensity

A sample of highly enriched uranium

What Is Enriched Uranium?

Naturally occurring uranium doesn't have enough of the fissile isotope U-235 to set off a nuclear reaction, but scientists found ways to increase the stuff

Mauna Loa (as seen from nearby Mauna Kea) is tall enough to have snow, at least when the volcano isn't erupting

The Tallest Mountains in the Solar System

Mount Everest is a just a peewee when compared with such giants as Olympus Mons on Mars

Fireworks can startle birds so badly they become disoriented

Birds Have No Reason to Like Fireworks

New Year's Eve fireworks can badly startle and disorient birds

A map of extreme weather events in the United States, January to October 2011

Visualizing a Year of Extreme Weather

The United States has seen thousands of weather records broken this year

In this image from Science on Ice, graduate student Maria Tausendfreund collects a water sample from an Arctic melt pond during a brief period of 'ice liberty.'

A Holiday Gift List for Science Lovers

Some books, toys, art and clothing for the scientist or geek in your life

On May 29, 2006, mud and steaming hot water squirted up in a rice field in Sidoarjo, East Java, marking the birth of the world's most destructive mud volcano.

The World’s Muddiest Disaster

Earth’s most violent mud volcano is wreaking havoc in Indonesia. Was drilling to blame? And when will it end?

Novacem plans to test its experimental cement (above: sample blocks) first in structures like doghouses and patios.

Building a Better World With Green Cement

With an eye on climate change, a British startup creates a new form of the ancient building material

A 19th-century print of New Madrid earthquake chaos.

The Great Midwest Earthquake of 1811

Two hundred years ago, a series of powerful temblors devastated what is now Missouri. Could it happen again?

Water crystallizes into ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time, but not always.

Ask Smithsonian

At What Temperature Does Water Freeze?

The answer is far more complicated than it first appears—water doesn't always turn to ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit

A nearly dry horseshoe lake at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas

Scene From A Drought

A trip to Texas shows the unexpected consequences of a severe drought

Ecologists warn that New England's maples could be at risk

Ecology Explains How the World Works

This is not a glamorous science; no one will ever accuse an ecologist of being in it for the money

A false-color image of flooding in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand’s Flooding, As Seen From Space

Bangkok residents have to avoid the crocodiles let loose by the flood

The Global Change Research Wetland at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Why Smithsonian’s Environmental Staff Like Science

Science is our attempt to figure out the inner workings of a very messy world

The Terkezi Oasis in Chad, as seen from Landsat 7

A Ghostly Scream From the Sahara

Superstitious sitings may have a root in human evolution

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The Overwhelming Data We Refuse To Believe

Another study finds the planet has warmed, but that won't convince the skeptics

A storm rolls in above Bangkok

When The Skies Turn Black

There are signs when severe weather approaches, but are we paying enough attention?

Internal parts of a wildflower, magnified 100x, by Arik Shapira of Hod HaSharon, Israel

Wildflower, Magnified

Imagery from the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition ranges from the fantastical to the freaky

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Six Secrets of Polonium

This rare and dangerous element, discovered by Marie Curie, is found in cigarettes and was used to poison an ex-KGB agent

Prize pumpkins have tripled in size in the past three decades. Tim Parks, of the Ohio Valley growers club, harvests his 2010 contender.

The Great Pumpkin

Competitive vegetable growers are closing in on an elusive goal—the one ton squash

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