How Do You 3-D Scan a Dinosaur?

Using laser scanners and high-tech computer software, Vince Rossi and Adam Metallo are recreating a digital Dinosaur Hall before it’s dismantled.

Ed note: Ultimately, Rossi and Metallo dream of digitizing all 137 million of the objects in the Smithsonian’s collections. More on the “Laser Cowboys.”

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Through work on the Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP), our scientists are seeing species in their habitats for the first time, such as these hermit crabs affectionately called “The Three Amigos.” This is the first time the species (Pylopagurus discoidalis) has been photographed alive.  

(via “Charro” and “Cowboy” Hermit Crabs - National Museum of Natural History Unearthed)

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102 years ago, the world was wowed by a meteorite that crashed in Egypt, supposedly landing on a dog. Two pieces of that meteorite are now stored at our National Museum of Natural History. In 1983, scientists discovered the rock was originally a piece of Mars. More about its story

Nature’s Best Photography

Part adventurer, part artist, and part engineer, nature photographers travel the globe to document the beauty and mystery of its farthest reaches. The images they bring home help to broaden our awareness and appreciation of the natural world.

Ed note: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has more photos and information on the exhibit.

What You See When You Turn a Fish Inside Out

As a museum specialist in the National Museum of Natural History’s division of fishes, Sandra Raredon helps to maintain the largest fish collection in the world and she X-rays the specimens as part of the research.

Ed note: Click the photo to view 11 interactive sliders showing the before and after photos of various fish species.