goSmithsonian - February 2008 - (Page 38) Second Floor JANET ANNENBERG HOOKER HALL OF GEOLOGY GEMS AND MINERALS Formed long ago , by heat and pressure deep within the earth, minerals and gemstones delight us with their distinctive shapes and brilliant colors. Check out the two beautiful new gemstones in the New Acquisitions Case: the unusual purple 40.10-carat elbaite, a member of the tourmaline mineral family, and the 15.93-carat grossular garnet that displays an exceptional blue-green color. Gaze into our crystal ball. Why is everything you see on the other side upside down? Choose from two approaches to view the artifacts in these galleries. Science buffs may like the slow, studied route with opportunities to see, for example, a model of the 3-D molecular structure of NaCl—sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt. The fast route takes visitors directly to our best-known artifact, the 45.52 carat deep-blue Hope Diamond, the world’s largest stone of its kind. Did you know that the museum houses the world’s largest meteorite collection? Some 20,000 of these space travelers are here, including many that you can touch. Don’t forget to visit the “Plate Tectonics Gallery” and use our interactive seismograph to create your own earthquake! WESTERN CULTURES The “Hall of Western Cultures” features 2,500 artifacts depicting the rich traditions and multiple influences of societies that thrived around the Mediterranean Sea from 8,000 B.C. to about A.D. 500. See 3,000-year-old Egyptian coffins and 3,500-year-old death masks. BONES, REPTILES AND INSECT ZOO A group of primate skeletons greets visitors to the Osteology Hall of Bones. (Only one creature found in this hall walks on two feet—the human.) Notice the shrew’s ribs: so tiny they look like bits of white thread. Can you spot the zebra’s broken rib? A Gila monster’s tail looks too big—it’s only slightly smaller than its body. A Komodo dragon looks like a monster from the past. (See a Komodo dragon at the National Zoo.) In the “O. Orkin Insect Zoo, watch as volunteers feed a tarantula. Or ” hold in your hand a Madagascar hissing cockroach, lubber grasshopper, tomato hornworm caterpillar or other live insect. Nearby, discover how butterflies evolved, adapted and diversified in the new exhibition opening February 15, “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution. The Live Butterfly Pavilion (See p. 33 for admission charges) ” houses hundreds of butterflies from around the world THE KOREA GALLERY This new long-term exhibition features cultural objects and artifacts from the Smithsonian and other collections. Here, ceramics, paintings, textiles and sculptures—from the 6th century B.C. to the 21st century—represent more than five millennia of Korea’s history and distinctive culture. MUSEUM STORES In the two ground-floor stores, find unique items, fine and costume jewelry, home accents, toys, clothing and “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution” features hundreds of live butterflies (opens February 15) from around the world. 38 www.goSmithsonian.com JOHN STEINER, NMNH (2); SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 2007 http://www.goSmithsonian.com
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