Smithsonian

Stargazers are in for a treat this month as five of the eight planets are visible in the night sky. Of the five, Venus and Jupiter are the brightest and most visible to the naked eye. To spot these planets, simply gaze up at the sky at dusk, as these planets are the first two “stars” to appear after the sun goes down (Jupiter being the higher of the two). Jupiter’s Moons: Readers with a backyard telescope, or even ordinary binoculars, should also be able to spot four of Jupiter’s... Read Full Story

Over the last few days, a powerful solar storm roared past the Earth treating travelers in the northernmost latitudes to a dazzling, supercharged display of auroras. The unusually bright colors resulted from a massive solar flare that erupted from the sun last Sunday, sending a wave of charged particles rippling across the sky. The recent show is likely just a taste of what’s to come, as scientists predict elevated solar activity to continue for the next couple of years. Here are stunning... Read Full Story

Jeffrey A. Cole has led over 50 Smithsonian journeys to Latin America since 1992, including 26 to Peru and 20 to Chile. He has also directed lecture series on South America for the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program in Washington. Read more about traveling with Jeffrey Cole.  Perú is a magical place. For most Smithsonian travelers the goal, the prize I should say, is to see Machu Picchu with one’s own eyes. My wife and I went to Machu Picchu in January 1980, when the means to get... Read Full Story

Smithsonian Study Leader Cassandra Hannahs is a medieval historian specializing in British cultural and architectural history. Here, she describes an action-packed journey from Galway to Killarney. To learn more about Cassandra and traveling with her, click here .   The beautiful landscape of Connemara. As our Smithsonian group left Galway, I was struck again by the stunning contrasts of the Irish landscape. There are many types of beauty here, from the wild hills of Connemara... Read Full Story

Smithsonian Study Leader Kevin Daly teaches ancient languages, archeology, and history and Bucknell University. Daly has excavated in Greece for over 15 years (primarily at the Athenian Agora) and is now co-directing an excavation at Thebes, the mythical home of Oedipus and Hercules. Here, he shares his thoughts from a recent journey through Turkey with Smithsonian Journeys travelers. Vaulted Substructure of the Apollo Temple at Claros. Photo: Kevin Daly. This trip to Turkey has been... Read Full Story

Each double-page spread of the latest edition of the   Times Comprehensive Atlas  is a gorgeous 16″ x 22″. The vibrant graphics are accompanied by excellent physical and political detail, detailed coverage of polar areas, and an expanded index of 200,000 place names and geographic features. Complete with a slipcase, this revised and updated 13th edition also includes a bonus 1922 archival world map. New features to this new 13th edition include 30 city plans from major cities around the... Read Full Story

Our Study Leader John Sweets recently took a group of Smithsonian Travelers through the Normandy, Honfleur, and on to Paris during our acclaimed France Through the Ages tour. Here are his thoughts on the time they spent there… After a delightful three-day stay in Normandy at our 13th century farm house inn, La Ranconniere, we have one last breakfast buffet with its irresistible chaussons aux pommes ( apple turnovers ) , a delightful complement to our tea or café au lait , and we set out in... Read Full Story

With his book Rome:  A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History , art critic Robert Hughes shares a wide-ranging, inclusive, and deeply personal history of Rome — its life as city, heart of an empire, and, as the site of the beginnings of what we now call Western art and civilization. Hughes begins by taking us to the Rome he first met at the tender age of twenty-one, fresh from Australia in 1959. From there, he journeys back more than two thousand years to the city’s foundation, steeped in... Read Full Story

Dr. Pamela Kachurin is an art historian specializing in Russian and Soviet art and architecture. Having first traveled to the Soviet Union before 1991, Dr. Kachurin has been able to witness the remarkable metamorphosis since then. She has traveled and worked in Uzbekistan, Belarus, and the major cities of Russia. Here, she shares her reflections on how Russia has changed since her first visit, based on her most recent travel to Russia as Study Leader with Smithsonian Journeys. Smithsonian... Read Full Story

Set in France’s pictureque Dordogne region, Black Diamond is the third book in Martin Walker’s acclaimed series featuring Bruno, Chief of Police. Trouble is afoot in the normally sleepy village of St. Denis – attacks, arson, and smuggling begin to threaten the region’s truffle trade. Thankfully, Bruno is not only Chief of Police, he’s a master chef uniquely qualified to crack the case. Would you like to experience the food, wine, and history of the Dordogne region for yourself? Join us for... Read Full Story