Explorers

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

A painting depicting a tribute giraffe and a handler sent to China in the 15th century.

The Peculiar Story of Giraffes in 1400s China

During China's short-lived golden age of exploration, two giraffes came to the imperial court

A spiny crab pulled up by the Investigator team

Australian Expedition Dredges Up Crazy Creatures From the Deep Sea

After a month exploring Australia's deepest ocean, researchers found over 300 new species of toothy, blobby and glowing animals

The bird feathers attached to artifacts in the John Wesley Powell collection can give anthropologists further insight into customs and trade.

Telling the Story of 19th-Century Native American Treasures Through Bird Feathers

Famed explorer John Wesley Powell’s archive of his 19th century travels is newly examined

Charles Blomfield

After 130 Years, Lost Natural Wonder May Have Been Rediscovered in New Zealand

It was believed the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in an eruption, but research suggests they are buried under ash and mud

Typhlonus nasus, the Faceless Cusk

"Faceless" Fish Found off the Coast of Australia

The rare creature was dredged up from some 13,000 feet below the surface

This copy of the first chart of the Gulf Stream was printed in 1786, ten years after Benjamin Franklin first drew it up.

Benjamin Franklin Was the First to Chart the Gulf Stream

Franklin's cousin, Timothy Folger, knew how the then-unnamed current worked from his days as a whaler

Page 6 of 11