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The 1903 Flyer was the first aircraft to make a successful, controllable, heavier-than-air flight. View the Flyer at different angles, the customized lightweight motor, and other related images for a complete picture of this breakthrough in aircraft…

Mitosis is the series of visible changes that occur in the nucleus and chromosomes of non-gamete-producing plant and animal cells as they divide. This Image Gallery exhibit depicts these events using state-of-the art microscopy and digital image…

From the inspiration of a toy helicoptor to glider tests at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, view photographic documentation of the Wright Brothers' attempts at human flight and the stages toward a final successful aircraft. View launches and landings,…

The Mesozoic Era (about 250 to 65 million years ago) is a geologic time period that is known as the "Age of the Dinosaurs." However, paleontologists are finding more evidence of varied abundance of life during this age, tracing the common ancestor…

On December 26, 2004, a giant earthquake of magnitude 9.3 on the Richter scale was triggered in the deep ocean off western Indonesia. Simultaneously, a devastating tsunami was generated, causing destruction and loss of life around Indian Ocean…

NASA's twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity set down on the surface of Mars in January 2004. After meeting the 90-day goal, both rovers continued to dig, measure, observe, photograph, and explore the rough terrain. This Image Gallery showcases images…

The European Space Agency's (ESA) first mission to Mars, called Mars Express, was launched June 2, 2003 and entered an orbit around the planet by December 25. This Image Gallery exhibits a number of images of Mars captured by the High Resolution…

Spanish histologist, Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934), is credited with establishing modern neuroscience in the early 20th century. Some of Cajal's earliest illustrations of the structures of the nervous system are reproduced in this gallery along…

Glaciers in cold mountain regions are key indicators of global climate change. This Image Gallery exhibits glaciers, their behavior, and influence on the surrounding environment. View mountain glaciers dramatically shaping our landscapes around the…

Otto Lilienthal and Octave Chanute were the pioneers of flight who most influenced and inspired Orville and Wilbur Wright. Photographs of Lilienthal, a German engineer, depict his flying attempts in various gliders before his career was cut short in…

A supernova is the explosive death of a star. This Image Gallery exhibit shows optical, x-ray, and radio images of five famous supernova remnants of varying ages, from the extremely young (SN 1987A, at just over 15 years old) to the very old (Vela…

In 2006, evolutionary biologists at the American Museum of Natural History conducted a phylogenetic analysis of spiny-rayed teleost fishes. They discovered that at least a thousand more venomous fish species inhabit worldwide aqautic ecosystems—a…

Wilbur Wright asks for help from the respected engineer, Octave Chanute, in May of 1900. View all five pages of this original handwritten letter, which provides remarkable insight into the approach the Wright Brothers were planning to take in…