Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

08/24/2026

With clearing skies starting off the week, New Englanders may be able to view the partial lunar eclipse Thursday night into early Friday. Here's how to see it. https://trib.al/TJU0rCS

08/12/2026

𝙏𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚: The collection will be closed Monday, August 17–Saturday, September 26, for gallery work and will reopen Sunday, September 27. We hope to see you then!

07/16/2026

✨ In a major astronomy milestone, scientists have detected the first atmosphere on a habitable-zone rocky world. It's the strongest evidence yet for other planets that could support life.

Collin Cherubim, who just earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University and is affiliated with the Center for Astrophysics l Harvard & Smithsonian, let the study.

The atmosphere was predicted in orbit of a red dwarf star about 48 light-years away from Earth by astronomer Collin Cherubim's statistical model, and were confirmed by observations from the Magellan Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory.

This first success validates his models and tells us that at least some rocky planets can keep their air for billions of years.

The next step, the authors say, is to find more of them.

Learn more: https://s.si.edu/4pqnSxb

📸 Melissa Weiss/CfA

07/09/2026

The Grand Orrery, c. 1787, is one of the most well-known objects in the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. Created by Joseph Pope, it is a gear-driven, hand-cranked representation of how the first six planets of our solar system revolve around the Sun. It is decorated with figures of Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Massachusetts Governor James Bowdoin, cast in brass by Paul Revere.

07/02/2026

Saturday, July 4th marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It can be challenging to imagine what life was like in the 18th century, and what folks may have known about the wider world.

Test your knowledge with “Pop Quiz: 1776,” a new scavenger hunt available at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture visitor desks!

This Cometarium demonstrates that comets move faster near the sun. In 1776, could Harvard students use math to predict when comets would appear? How is the famous Halley's Comet related to this instrument? Find out in our Putnam gallery open Friday, July 3 and Sunday, July 5, 11 am-4 pm.

Once your quiz is complete, loop back to the Shop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History to get your custom sticker!

06/11/2026

Celebrate the beginning of summer, Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈, and Father’s Day at our annual FREE Summer Solstice Celebration!

Enjoy Pride-themed activities like a dance party, street chalking, and temporary tattoos. The Revels will present lively music, dance performances, and lead the Procession of the Sun! ☀️Visitors will also be able to observe science demos, make a signature flower crown, and more. 🌼

See here for more details on parking, giveaways, exhibitions, and food offerings: https://tinyurl.com/HMSCSolstice2026


𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 & 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮. 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 © 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘰.

05/13/2026

Congratulations to Professor Hannah Marcus, faculty director of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, who was awarded a Harvard College Professorship alongside five senior faculty members.

The distinction recognizes tenured faculty for their distinguished contributions to undergraduate teaching. Read more about Hannah’s story, research, and teaching.

Five senior faculty members have been awarded Harvard College professorships for excellence in undergraduate teaching and for helping students “develop their intellectual passions.” Hopi Hoekstra, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, announced the recipients at the May 5 Mee...

04/27/2026

Technology was pivotal in the American Revolution and in the nascent country’s sense of identity, whether in the practical surveying and navigation instruction given to Harvard College students or the national pride in Benjamin Franklin’s experiments with electricity.

Please join the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, the History of Science Department, and Joyce Chaplin, James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, Harvard, tomorrow, April 28, for a free panel discussion and tour to celebrate the opening of the exhibit Revolutionary Technology. See more details about panel members and evening activities:
https://tinyurl.com/CHSIMakingANation

Presented in partnership with Revolution250 and sponsored by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.

04/10/2026

Keep your eyes on the sky to see Venus, Jupiter, the Lyrids meteor showers, and more this Spring.

Keep your eyes peeled to the night sky. A meteor shower, a comet, and shining Venus offer out-of-this-world views.