@NMNH

The @Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Understanding the natural world and our place in it. Legal: https://xitter.cf/t.co/T0xZmb6uul

 Washington D.C.
Joined March 2008
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“This is the kind of finding you hope you’re going to make on a mission.” – Tim McCoy, curator of meteorites and lead author on a new paper out today. Find the paper here: s.si.edu/3EgZz16
A Bennu sample on display at the museum.

ALT A Bennu sample on display at the museum.

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The discovery suggests that extraterrestrial brines provide a crucial setting for the development of organic compounds. “We now know from Bennu that the raw ingredients of life were combining in really interesting and complex ways on Bennu’s parent body,” said McCoy.
Two rows of mineral specimens. In the front row from left to right are specimens of calcite, gaylussite, sylvite with associated halite, and villiaumite. In the back row from left to right are specimens, of magnetite, thenardite, and trona.

ALT Two rows of mineral specimens. In the front row from left to right are specimens of calcite, gaylussite, sylvite with associated halite, and villiaumite. In the back row from left to right are specimens, of magnetite, thenardite, and trona.

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In addition to McCoy, Smithsonian-affiliated co-authors included Cari Corrigan, Rob Wardell, Tim Gooding and Tim Rose.
Tim McCoy (second from left) and his museum co-author colleagues (left to right) Tim Rose, Rob Wardell, Tim Gooding and Cari Corrigan.

ALT Tim McCoy (second from left) and his museum co-author colleagues (left to right) Tim Rose, Rob Wardell, Tim Gooding and Cari Corrigan.

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Interested in writing about meteorites and mammoths, squids and sloths, diamonds and dinosaurs? Apply now for our paid Summer 2025 #SciComm internship! This 12-week, part-time internship may be virtual. Apply here by Feb 21: s.si.edu/3BXZnma
A view of the museum's Fossil Hall.

ALT A view of the museum's Fossil Hall.

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Congrats to curators Dr. Andrea Quattrini and Dr. Sabrina Sholts for receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.
Dr. Andrea Quattrini smiles at the camera.

ALT Dr. Andrea Quattrini smiles at the camera.

Dr. Sabrina Sholts smiles into the camera.

ALT Dr. Sabrina Sholts smiles into the camera.

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Smithsonian NMNH retweeted
Smithsonian
@smithsonian7 Jan 2025
A frosted pumpkin treat at our snowy @hirshhorn. Smithsonian museums in the DC area are closed on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Yayoi Kusama’s "Pumpkin" (2016), installed in the museum's plaza. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts. © YAYOI KUSAMA. Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
A Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture adorned with black polka dots. The pumpkin is yellow and huge. It is displayed outdoors on a snow-covered ground.

ALT A Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture adorned with black polka dots. The pumpkin is yellow and huge. It is displayed outdoors on a snow-covered ground.

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Smithsonian NMNH retweeted
Smithsonian
@smithsonian6 Jan 2025
Due to inclement weather, Smithsonian museums in the DC area, including the National Zoo, will be closed to the public on Monday, Jan. 6.
Snow-covered trees in front of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C. on a winter day.

ALT Snow-covered trees in front of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C. on a winter day.

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The National Museum of Natural History will be closed to the public on Tuesday, January 7 due to street closures as part of ceremonies honoring former President Jimmy Carter. All other Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will be open as usual.
The exterior of the museum.

ALT The exterior of the museum.

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Smithsonian NMNH retweeted
Smithsonian
@smithsonian20 Dec 2024
In the event of a government shutdown, our museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will remain OPEN through at least Thursday, Dec. 26. Please note that we are closed on Dec. 25. Visit si.edu for updates. Image: Richard Lippold’s “Ad Astra” on view outside our @airandspace.
Sunset view of the National Air and Space Museum, featuring a tall, stainless-steel sculpture with a pointed tip, that almost looks like it's penetrating a triple star-like cluster near its apex.

ALT Sunset view of the National Air and Space Museum, featuring a tall, stainless-steel sculpture with a pointed tip, that almost looks like it's penetrating a triple star-like cluster near its apex.

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Today we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague Dave Johnson, Curator of Fishes. Dave was a world-renowned comparative morphologist and ichthyologist who joined our Fish Division's curatorial staff in 1983.  He was by nature a collaborator and had many co-authors worldwide.
Dave Johnson smiles at the camera.

ALT Dave Johnson smiles at the camera.

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He served as a mentor to staff – long-time and new, young and old – and took particular interest in ensuring that future generations had the support they needed to be successful.
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This included recently partnering with his friend and colleague Bruce Collette to endow a permanent curatorial position in the Fish Division. We’re going to miss Dave a lot.
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In Aug 2023, a shark seemingly appeared out of nowhere and the three female epaulette sharks at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois had a new roommate: a teeny-tiny baby shark. Where'd it come from? Short answer: parthenogenesis Find the long answer here: s.si.edu/3UDGk7s
A speckled epaulette shark rests on the ocean floor amid colorful marine sediment.

ALT A speckled epaulette shark rests on the ocean floor amid colorful marine sediment.

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In late 1872, Captain Charles Hall lay dying on the U.S.S. Polaris, off the coast of Greenland. Before his death, Hall accused his chief scientist of wanting to poison him. Could a specimen in the museum's collection help solve this mystery? Read more: s.si.edu/4enP34l

The Murder Mystery Linking a Bird Specimen at the National Museum of Natural History to the...

In 1871, a naturalist aboard the U.S.S. Polaris collected scientific specimens — and possibly poisoned the ship’s captain

smithsonianmag.com
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Eighty-four years, six months and seven days. That's how long it took for an octopus collected by John Steinbeck in the Gulf of California to be correctly identified. Read more here: s.si.edu/3Uty8X7

The Name Game: A 'Celebrity' Cephalopod Specimen Correctly Identified More Than 80 Years After...

Collected by the iconic American writer John Steinbeck, the octopus has received a number of scientific monikers

smithsonianmag.com
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This T. rex skull is ready for Halloween! Standing about 15 feet tall with large, serrated teeth, a Tyrannosaurus wouldn't need much help striking fear. The largest meat eater in western North America, it feasted on dinosaurs large and small.
Side view of a T. rex skull displayed on a plain white background.

ALT Side view of a T. rex skull displayed on a plain white background.

A T. rex skull lit up dramatically with orange light against a black background. A person's face is just visible between the jaws.

ALT A T. rex skull lit up dramatically with orange light against a black background. A person's face is just visible between the jaws.

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