When Scientists Get Accidentally Artsy

Smithsonian museum specialist Sandra Raredon has been making radiographs, or X-ray images, for some 25 years. And although she doesn't necessarily consider herself an artist, per se, she's not surprised to see her work on display in that context. "I wanted people to see that they're not only scientific, but they're beautiful as well," she says on the phone.

Hide caption Winghead shark Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Smalltooth sawfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Wedge-tail triggerfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Crisscross prickleback Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Dhiho's seahorse Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Long-spine porcupine fish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Torrent loach Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Viper moray Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Lookdown fish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Longnose butterflyfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Longnose batfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Striped mojarra Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Pancake batfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Tropical hatchetfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Skate Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Slender snipe eel Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Grooved razorfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution.

Hide caption Catfish Previous Next Sandra J. Raredon/National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution. 1 of 18 i View slideshow

A new exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History lies right at the intersection of art and science, showcasing the inherent beauty of skeletons — that is, fish skeletons.

Before the invention of X-rays, the only way to study a creature's insides was by dissection. X-rays are a quicker, cleaner and nondestructive way to learn about diet, growth and evolution. The exhibit, currently in Washington, D.C., will be traveling the country until 2015. But hey, as long as you're near a computer, check out these interactive exterior-interior photos in Smithsonian magazine.