Mars. Courtesy of NASA/JPL.

Calling all Martians from across the galaxy: celebrate Mars Day this Friday at the National Air and Space Museum. The annual event pays homage to the red planet with a variety of fun and educational activities for extraterrestrials and humans alike.

Perhaps no other planet in our solar system is surrounded with as much mystery as Mars, so we have put together a list of facts to help you prepare for the party:

1. Mars features the largest volcano in the solar system. Olympus Mons is located in the Tharsis Montes region, which is the largest volcanic region on Mars, and is approximately 2,485 miles across. Volcanoes in the Tharsis region are up to 100 times larger than those anywhere on Earth.

2. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and both are shaped like potatoes. Named after the mythological sons of Ares, the Greek counterpart of the Roman god, Mars, the moons are among the smallest in the solar system. Because Phobos is spiraling inward and coming 3 feet 2 inches closer to Mars each century, it will either crash into Mars or break up and form a ring in about 50 million years.

3. Scientists have found proof of water on Mars. NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft found water in the form of ice below the surface of the planet. Due to the planet’s lack of an atmosphere, water simply cannot exist for very long. Channels can be found all over the planet where running water used to be.

4. Mars appears red because its surface is consists of iron-rich minerals that oxidize. That dust is kicked up into the atmosphere and gives the planet its reddish hue. Discovered in ancient times, both the Romans and Egyptians named the planet because of its color. Mars was the name used by the Romans for their god of war because of the planet’s bloodlike color. The Egyptians named the planet “Her Desher,” which means “the red one.”

5. The annual event marks the July 20, 1976 landing of Viking 1, the first spacecraft to operate on Mars. Since the first landing, many missions to Mars have failed for a variety of reasons leaving some to speculate that a “Mars Triangle”—similar to the “Bermuda Triangle”—exists.

Check out the Mars Day celebration on this Friday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum where NASA will announce the landing site for their next Mars rover, and where you can see an actual piece of Mars!

Space shuttle Discovery roaring off the launchpad. Photo courtesy of NASA.

The space shuttle that has flown more missions than any other is coming to the Smithsonian.

Announced just moments ago, Discovery will be coming to the National Air and Space Museum to be preserved in the collections with the 1903 Wright Flyer, Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed 5B Vega and the Spirit of St. Louis. Before Discovery can kick off its shoes and relax in space shuttle retirement, scientists must first inspect the aircraft and gather valuable information from its many trips into space. It may take months before Discovery is ready to go from highly dependable space shuttle to museum exhibit.

“An acquisition of this importance happens rarely in the life of a museum,” says Air and Space curator Dr. Valerie Neal in an email interview. “It is an honor and privilege to welcome Discovery into the national collection, where it will be displayed, preserved, and cared for forever.”

Discovery accomplished numerous milestones during its 27-year career and 365 total days in space. It was flown by the first African-American commander, Frederick Gregory in 1989, as well as piloted by the first female spacecraft pilot, Eileen Collins in 1995. The space shuttle also served as a return-to-flight vehicle after the Challenger (1988) and Columbia (2005) tragedies.

The design of the Discovery was unique for its time and made these achievements in space travel possible.

“The shuttle orbiters were the first vehicles to launch into space like a rocket, return on wings and wheels to land like an aircraft, and fly over and over again,” says Dr. Neal. “They made an entirely new style of spaceflight possible and greatly expanded the scope of human activity in space.”

From its design, history and crowning achievements, Discovery will make a great addition to the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. Be sure to check back with Around the Mall for future updates on when you will be able to see Discovery in person. In the meantime, check out the video below of Dr. Neal as she highlights Enterprise and its impact on manned space flights.

Albert and Alberta, the Florida Gators mascots, celebrate a victory on the sideline. Photo courtesy of Flickr user chasingfun.

College athletics feature some of the most unusual mascots in all of American sports. Take the teams in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament for example. Mascots included the Peacocks (St. Peter’s), Sycamores (Indiana State), Zips (Akron) and Gauchos (University of California, Santa Barbara). With the Sweet 16 upon us and all our brackets in complete disarray, the Around the Mall crew combed through those remaining mascots with a Smithsonian connection.

1. San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs are relative newcomers to the tournament but the men from the land of 70 and sunny are into their first Sweet 16 in team history. For casual fans filling out their brackets the Aztecs were a mystery, just like the crystal skull sent to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992. An anonymous letter accompanied the skull stating it was from the Aztec empire. Even though this myth preceded the Indiana Jones film, Natural History Museum anthropologist Jane Walsh took it upon herself to debunk the anonymous letter when she discovered the skull was made with modern tools.

2. Richmond Spiders
One of two teams from the city of Richmond left in the tournament—the other being Virginia Commonwealth University—the Spiders are proud of their unique mascot; the only school who feature the eight-legged arachnid on their uniforms. The Smithsonian prefers to keep their spiders behind glass but there are a couple places to get up close and personal with them. The National Zoo’s Invertebrate Exhibit and the Natural History Museum where you can watch a live tarantula feeding.

3. Connecticut Huskies
Connecticut, more commonly known as UConn, can credit their mascot to the actual Yukon where huskies are native. Next door to the Yukon is Alaska where mail carrier Ed Biederman used a dog sled to deliver mail (on display at the National Postal Museum) along the 160-mile route between Circle and Eagle, Alaska.

4. Florida Gators
When you create Gatorade, you kind of have to be good at sports. The Gators are the last team to win back-to-back national championships and they even made their typical mascot special by taking the official state reptile and dressing it in a bright orange turtleneck sweater. The National Zoo’s alligator isn’t nearly as fashionable, but fascinating, nonetheless.

5. Butler Bulldogs
Fresh off of last year’s run to the national championship game—where they lost to Duke—the Butler Bulldogs are poised to make another run down the road to the Final Four. Another bulldog that is all to familiar with roads is Bud the bulldog whose goggles are currently on display in the American History Museum. Bud accompanied H. Nelson Jackson and mechanic Sewall Crocker in 1903 as they made the first transcontinental automobile trip. Jackson acquired Bud in Idaho and as they traveled Jackson bought goggles so the dust from the rugged western terrain wouldn’t irritate Bud’s eyes.

That’s our list. Are there other mascots left in the tournament with a Smithsonian connection? Let us known in the comments.

The currently nameless anteater cub rests on his mother's back. Photo courtesy of Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park needs your help in naming its newest anteater.

Polls are currently open on the Zoo’s web site and you can vote for your favorite name until noon on March 28. Once the polls close, the top three vote-getters will move to round two, where things get interesting. Maripi, the anteater cub’s mom, will then choose the winning name of her pup. How does a giant anteater pick a name for her cub exactly? Well, the three top names will be coupled with different enrichment objects (meaning things that an anteater finds interesting) and placed in the anteater yard. Maripi will be let loose in the yard and whichever object/name she goes to first will become her pup’s new name.

There are a total of five names selected by staff members and each have a specific meaning they felt would fit this particular anteater or the species in general. The giant anteater species can be found in the wild from Central and South American. This particular anteater cub has the reputation of being confident and tough. “During one of his first forays into the yard he was spotted off Maripi’s back, checking out all the new and exciting scents,” said Marie Magnuson, an animal keeper at the National Zoo.

Listed below are the possible names for the anteater cub and why that name was selected. After you’re done “aww-ing” at the photo, head over to the Zoo’s site and vote!

Pablo: One of the most popular boys’ names in South America, this would suit the playful pup perfectly. Famous Pablos include artist Pablo Picasso and movie director Pablo Ferro.

Termito: Meaning “termite.” An anteater’s diet is heavily based on ants and termites. Anteaters use their keen sense of smell to detect termite mounds and anthills and tear them open with their strong claws. They gather their prey using a two-foot-long tongue covered with very sticky saliva.

Demetrio: Meaning “of the earth.” Anteaters live in grassland savannas, swamps, humid forests and wetlands. Almost everything they eat is “of the earth.” In addition to ants and termites, giant anteaters also eat ripe fruit that has fallen from the trees and the eggs of ground-nesting birds.

Fausto: Meaning “lucky.” This anteater pup had somewhat of a rocky start, and his survival is due to strength and luck. Just hours after he was born, keepers found the baby outside of the nest box with a low body temperature while his mother was asleep in the nest. The newborn was taken to the Zoo’s vet hospital, where he received a complete medical evaluation that included a controlled raise of his body temperature. Luckily, he rebounded quickly with the aid of keepers and veterinarians and was soon reunited with his mother where he continues to thrive.

Valerio: Meaning “to be healthy or strong.” This anteater is one tough guy. He and his mother have settled into a nice routine of eating, sleeping and going out in the yard when it is warm. He continues to grow as expected and is right on target for his age in growth and health.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of the James Renwick Alliance

Towering over viewers at an astonishing 107 inches, Viola Frey’s Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress commands your attention.

Currently on view at the Renwick Gallery, Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress exemplifies what made Frey—who died in 2004 at the age of 70—unique as an artist. She was a classic artist who worked in many mediums—painting, drawing, bronze and photography—but she is best known for her monumental scale ceramic sculptures. “They’re tour de force in the field of ceramics,” says Fern Bleckner, the Renwick Gallery’s deputy chief for operations.

Frey studied at the California College of the Arts in Oakland with the abstract expressionist artist Richard Diebenkorn, who had a major influence on her work. As an adult she would frequent flea markets—a trait she picked up as a child from her family—and collect random objects such as Japanese porcelain figurines. “She combed the Alameda flea market looking for things that spoke to her,” said Bleckner. “This very much was an integral part of her working process.” Frey deliberately reconfigured these diminutive objects and “giganticized” (her word) them up into a sculpture that depicted an archetypal “Every man” or “Every woman.” In her large pieces, Frey frequently explored the themes of control and power.

“She’s  thinking of people and their place in time and history and their culture,” says Bleckner. “She’s looking at the average every day man in our time and how he fits in and what does it mean for the individual.”

While Frey may have been trying to capture ordinary people living their lives, there are noticeable instances where Frey chose to let her artistic expression run wild. For instance, one hand is larger than the other in Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress. According to Bleckner, this exaggeration was deliberate and is a reference to historic sculptures. It’s an indication of showing power. The face is also not structured like a normal face. “It is more cubist in its depiction,” said Bleckner.

With monumental scale, exaggerated features, a forward leaning stance, and a free form spontaneous painting technique, Frey’s work has the uncanny ability to turn the viewer into the figurine. To learn more about Frey and her work stop by the Renwick Gallery February 16 at 12 p.m. for a free gallery talk led by Bleckner.

Updated: This post was updated to include some additional information from curator Fern Bleckner.

January 26 (which due to the time difference was actually yesterday in Australia) has only been officially recognized as Australia Day since 1994, but the citizens of that land down under are certainly making up for lost time with parades, concerts and fireworks. Not to be left out are our furry and feathered friends at the National Zoo. So we’ve gathered a few Australian animals that we like to think would be celebrating with their friends back home. Even though the weather outside is pretty brutal, stop by and wish our Australian friends at the National Zoo a happy Australia Day!

Emu. Jessie Cohen, National Zoo

Emu

The emu has the proud distinction of being the largest bird at the National Zoo. But with great size comes great sacrifice. Emus, as well as ostriches, are ratites, which means flightless birds. With the firework displays celebrating Australia Day, this might actually be a good thing.

Australian snake-necked turtle. Jessie Cohen, National Zoo

Australian Snake-Necked Turtle

What better exemplifies Australia Day’s celebration of a diverse population than the Australian snake-necked turtle? While most turtles retract their neck inside their shell, the Australian snake-necked turtle folds its long neck sideways into its eight-inch shell. You may want to keep your distance at a parade though. It’s musk glands emit a foul odor if they are caught or captured.

Laughing kookaburra. Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo.

Laughing Kookaburra

Named after a derivative of an Aboriginal language, the laughing Kookaburra will make sure you don’t sleep through Australia Day with its territorial song that resembles laughter. Nicknamed alarmbird, breakfast bird and bushman’s clock, the laughing kookaburra’s, “ha-ha-ha-HA-HA-hoo-hoo-hoo” chuckle is bound to light up any Australia Day party.

Double-wattled cassowary. Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo.

Double-Wattled Cassowary

The double-wattled cassowary may weigh in at as much as 128 pounds but that doesn’t keep this flightless bird from running at speeds up to 30 miles per hour and jumping as high as five feet. Some native Australian tribes even believe the bird has mystical powers and refuse to hunt them. One look at the dagger-like claw on the inner toe of a cassowary and I wouldn’t hunt them either.

Tammar wallaby. Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo.

Tammar Wallaby

The kangaroo might be Australia’s most famous animal export but the tammar wallaby is essentially a miniature kangaroo, making it by far the cuter of the two. With its 12-inch tail and muscular back legs, the wallaby is built for jumping. They mostly feed on vegetation but have somehow figured out how to survive in places with no fresh water by drinking seawater and eating salty sea plants.

Gary Hevel holds a sign he made out of dead stinkbugs. Courtesy of Steve Lingafelter

If you have no idea what a stinkbug is then consider yourself lucky. As the days become shorter and the air turns cold, hordes of an arrowhead-shaped bug, known as the brown marmorated stinkbug (BMSB), are making their way into homes along the Mid-Atlantic and becoming quite the nuisance. In order to fully understand these creatures, and more importantly how to get rid of them, we asked entomologist Gary Hevel at the Natural History Museum for some tips.

Clearly stinkbugs have been planning their invasion of Mid-Atlantic homes for some time now. Is there any cause for their sudden increase this fall?

Authorities are uncertain on this question. In general, alien pests are able to increase their numbers because there are no natural predators or parasites in the new territory.

As we prepare to do battle with the stinkbugs, what should we arm ourselves with in case they invade our home? Are there any non-caustic remedies?

There are a couple of easy and practical methods of dealing with the critters. Large numbers can be handled by introducing them to a vacuum cleaner. A second way is to place them in a jar of soapy water (where they drown). Tossing them into a toilet bowl is a waste of water.

These seem like pretty rude bugs. Eating produce without paying and then coming inside uninvited. What can we be doing to keep their population down?

Yes, these serious pests are annoying in houses, but suck juices from fruits and vegetables  in yards, orchards and farms. Other than vacuums and soapy water, some people have suggested eating them. This is done to some extent in other countries, and they provide two to three times more protein than steaks. Fortunately, research scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are developing two control methods.  1) The use of pheromones (air chemicals) to attract them to traps where they are chemically killed.  2) The use of a small parasitic wasp that has been imported from their original habitat.

Where did stink bugs come from in the first place?

BMSBs are long known in China, Japan and adjacent countries, but have hitchhiked by some manner to the United States. Their encore appearance was in the late 1990s in Pennsylvania.

Even I like to see the good in everyone. What positive qualities do stinkbugs possess?

In their natural territory, they are part of the biological food chain, where they are primary targets of at least one parasitic wasp.  Their other qualities, in the view of humankind, are negative.

If they’re lucky enough not to end up smushed on a rolled-up newspaper, how long do stink bugs typically live?

Eggs hatch in the early part of the year, and these bugs slowly grow through the season, gaining their wings. Adults seek shelter in houses and other human-made structures for overwintering, then emerge in the spring to mate and lay eggs. In the United States, the BMSBs have only one generation per year. Adults most likely die after their first season, and go to Stink Bug Heaven if they’ve been good…and we know that they haven’t. As researchers study these bugs, their life span will become better known.

And when do stinkbugs stink? I’ve stepped on one, but it didn’t stink.

All kinds of stink bugs have holes on the sides of their bodies for the passing of unpleasant gasses to protect them from predators. The smell may be experienced best by holding a BMSB near your nose and squeezing it (the bug, not your nose).

Bedbugs, the previous media darlings of the bug world, enjoy feeding on human blood, should we worry about bodily harm from stinkbugs?

No. The good part of the BMSB story is that they can not bite or sting. Otherwise, they are abundantly more annoying than a lengthy visit from one’s least favorite relative.

Curator Carol Huh talks with the Asia After Dark crowd Photo by Christopher Poole

From just outside the entrance of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the rhythmic Asian-inspired house music pours out into the night welcoming art-lovers to “Asia After Dark.”

Once inside, a video display shown on wall slowly updates with tweets using the hashtag #asiaafterdark. I made a quick stop at the bar for an Asian-infused cocktail—I opted for the “rise and fall melon ball”— and then it was on my way to see Fiona Tan: Rise and Fall.

Once downstairs and into the gallery, I joined a group being led by curator Carol Huh. As I listened to Huh describe the artist Fiona Tan’s work on the wall, I was looking at a bunch of  black and white photographs hanging on the wall of the gallery, but then I realized the people in them were moving, the scenery was slowly changing. The best way to describe it would be it’s similar to the paintings in Harry Potter.

The 22-minute, two-channel video installation Rise and Fall, got me thinking. When you walk into the room there are two vertically hanging screens, as Huh said, it’s as if the video screens are the last barriers for Tan to break through. I’m not really sure what that means, but the film focuses on a young and elderly woman with shots of water spliced in throughout, gorgeous shots of Niagra Falls were so real, so aloud I almost felt like I was getting doused with spray. It is a thought-provoking film with intriguing angles and the old woman and the young girl on the two screens seemed to play off of one another at times, doing the same thing, applying make-up, walking in the park. Like I said, it made me think, who are those women? Are they the same person? What does the water signify?

I moved on. Near the Tan exhibit was Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia. The works of art, dating from the prehistoric period to the post-Angkorian period, are in amazing condition and the level of detail is truly something to behold. But the night was slowly came to an end with dancing and cupcakes (Curbside Cupcakes stopped by on Independence Avenue later in the night). Talk of meeting and talking with Zac Holtzman and Senon Williams of Dengue Fever, who were hanging out in crowd, could be heard as the well-dressed assemblage slowly started to disperse. Many were still thrilled with their performance in the Artful Avatars activity where participants could pose in a retro photo booth and create a self-portrait.

This is the fifth Asia After Dark event, the previous one featured DJ Rekha, and offers those 21 and older a chance to enjoy fine art in a way completely different from the usual museum experience. Keep an eye out for the next Asia After Dark sometime in the spring of 2011.

Courtesy of Flickr user Axel Bührmann

Soccer and music blend together to create an atmosphere that is unique only to the beautiful game. For 90 minutes, players are serenaded by supporters who don’t ask for tips in return, just that magical goal that sends them into hysteria.

As you read this, USA supporters in South Africa are almost certainly singing into the night celebrating today’s dramatic, stoppage-time win over Algeria that secures the U.S. Men’s National Team a place in the knockout stages of the FIFA 2010 World Cup for the first time since 2002.

Music is how fans communicate with their team and inspire them to victory. They live and die with every pass and their emotions fill every song and chant.  Whether it be drums in South America, the vuvuzela in South Africa or good old fashioned singing in England, music can be heard in stadiums around the world.

Music and soccer are not always a perfect match as Shakira demonstrated with her official FIFA 2010 World Cup song, “Waka Waka – Time for Africa.” Criticism for the song was immediate as South Africans demanded to know why a Colombian singer was chosen to write and perform a song that represents their continent and features African elements throughout and yet, not performed by an African.

What has become synonymous with Africa at this year’s World Cup and has provided the background track to the world’s biggest sporting event is the vuvuzela, the plastic horn South African fans use to cheer on their beloved Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys). Noise levels inside stadiums have reached deafening levels, broadcasters are filtering out the noise as much as possible; even the players have complained.  (This editor’s dog hides under the sofa.)

But happily, the buzzing drone of the vuvuzela is not all that South Africa has to offer when it comes to music. To celebrate, we suggest you check out “This Land is Mine: South African Freedom Songs” from Smithsonian Folkways, which features songs that you can sing while sitting on your couch watching the next World Cup match.

Your neighbors will thank you for not breaking out your vuvuzela.