Online exhibitions

How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight? Why do you become "weightless" in space? How can you propel yourself there, with no air to push against? These and many other questions are answered in How Things Fly.

Extra-vehicular activity, or EVA—working outside a spacecraft—changed the nature of human spaceflight. It made possible walking on the Moon, servicing the Hubble Space Telescope, and building the International Space Station. It remains crucial to our ongoing presence in space.

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth explored the mythical message of Luke Skywalker's journey from his first call to adventure to his final victory. Showcasing models, costumes, props, and original artwork from the archives of Lucasfilm Ltd., the exhibition traced the Star Wars films-Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), and Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace-and how it presents the young Luke and other characters as archetypes from stories and legends.

If you want to know where you are, you need an accurate clock.

This surprising connection between time and place has been crucial for centuries. About 250 years ago, sailors first used accurate clocks to navigate the oceans. Today we locate ourselves on the globe with synchronized clocks in orbiting satellites. Among the many challenges facing navigation from then to now, one stands out: keeping accurate time.

The people who pushed the technological or social limits of flight during the 1920s and 30s.

This gallery contains an impressive, eclectic assortment of aircraft and exhibits. A common theme unites them: all have to do with people who pushed the existing technological—or social—limits of flight. Each aircraft or exhibit represents an unprecedented feat, a barrier overcome, a pioneering step.