National Museum of Natural History

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How the 'King of Diamonds' Gave the National Museum of Natural History Its Crown Jewel

From the legendary Hope Diamond to a rainbow of colorful gemstones, a multigenerational bond between the Winston family and the Smithsonian transformed the museum’s world-renowned gem collection

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How Do Diamonds Get Their Fancy Colors?

From brilliant blues to fiery reds, discover how nature crafts diamonds in every color, and why some shades are rarer than the rest

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Top Discoveries at the National Museum of Natural History in 2024

Fungus-farming ants, fossilized footprints and a prehistoric critter named after a Muppet are just a few of the year’s most notable findings

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Meet the Scientist Venturing to Remote Canada in Search of the Earth’s Oldest Rocks

Smithsonian researcher Wriju Chowdhury is part of an expedition searching for 4-billion-year-old crystals that could uncover the secrets behind Earth’s early history

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How the Structure of a Mammoth Meteorite Reveals the Rough and Tumble Nature of the Asteroid Belt

The Old Woman Meteorite is still revealing insights into outer space decades after its discovery

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The ‘Ultimate Honor’: Why a Colorful Mineral Honors the Smithsonian‘s Namesake

Smithsonite honors the scientific legacy of mineralogist James Smithson

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Meet the Smithsonian Fellow Alumni Helping to Save the Planet

This Earth Day, learn about early-career researchers who are tackling issues from green technology to lichen biodiversity and coral rehabilitation

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Mars Madness: Meet the Scientist Studying the Rocky Surface of Mars

Planetary geologist Amanda Ostwald studies Martian meteorites to understand what makes Mars different from — and similar to — planet Earth

A man sits in front of a large, white machine and a row of computer screens in a lab setting.

Uncovering Earth's Secrets One X-ray at a Time

The National Museum of Natural History’s analytical laboratories are revolutionizing how scientists study everything from Civil War tooth fillings to Earth’s oldest rocks

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NMNH in Review: Top Discoveries by Museum Scientists in 2023

Indigenous woolly dogs, ground sloth pendants and more headline-grabbing findings by scientists at the National Museum of Natural History

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NMNH in Review: How an Asteroid Sample Traveled From Outer Space to the Museum's Mineral Hall

After a 500 million mile journey, a piece of the asteroid Bennu is now on display at the Smithsonian. But how did it get here?

A blue bird with white and grey spots lies against a white background.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with the Museum’s Stunning Collection of Blue Specimens

Learn how this rare hue shows up in the natural world with some of the Smithsonian’s bluest specimens

A large, brown tooth sits on top of a colorful map of the California coast

Summer Summary: A Mysterious Fossil Tooth, Metallic Planet and Marine Hitchhikers

Catch up on the museum discoveries you may have missed over the past few months

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New Museum Display Showcases the Mineral Building Blocks of Cellphones

The story behind the specimens at the center of the museum’s new exhibition “Cellphone: Unseen Connections”

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The Story Behind the Smithsonian’s Newest Gem: the Exquisite Lion of Merelani

The stunning tsavorite gemstone arrives at the museum with a well-documented history

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Meet the Smithsonian Scientist Venturing to Volcanoes to Understand the Origins of Earth’s Surface

Elizabeth Cottrell collects rocks and analyzes samples in the lab to help reveal what makes Earth so unique

In an aerial shot of the desert, a dry lakebed is surrounded by swaths of white salt flats.

Clay-Encrusted Microbes Provide Clues to How Early Life Developed on Earth and Potentially Mars

Smithsonian scientists study saline lakes in the Chilean desert to travel back in time to ancient Earth and beyond

A dark sky just after dusk is set ablaze by several streaking meteorites

5 Facts About Meteors and Meteorites That Are Out of This World

From the colors they glow to where they come from, learn all about these space rocks in celebration of the year's largest meteor shower

A variety of dark gray to black magnetofossils shaped like ovals, cubes and needles cluster around each other.

Meet the Scientist Who Uses Magnetic Fossils to Navigate Changing Oceans

Geobiologist Courtney Wagner uses giant magnets and microscopic fossils to make sense of ancient climate change

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