Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

Visible planets and night sky guide for July and August

Visible planets and night sky guide for July 2024. It’s summer meteor time! Follow these tips to optimize your chances of seeing a great meteor display.

See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle

You need a dark country sky to see these 3 small constellations: Vulpecula, Delphinus and Sagitta. They are all near the Summer Triangle.

What is a planet? Jean-Luc Margot wants a new definition

What is a planet? Under the 2006 definition for "planet," Pluto lost full planet status. Learn about a proposed new definition.

Apollo 11 landing and footsteps on the moon 55 years ago

Today is the 55th anniversary of humanity's historic Apollo moon landing and the 1st human footsteps on the moon. Here is the story in pictures.

Summer Triangle star: Vega is bright and blue-white

There's a noticeable star pattern called the Summer Triangle in the east on July and August evenings. Its brightest star is blue-white Vega.

Astronomer Michael Brown: ‘I killed Pluto. Now I’m searching for Planet 9’

Cool astronomy livestream on Monday, July 14! EarthSky's Deborah Byrd will be talking with astronomer Michael Brown, who calls himself "the man who killed Pluto."

Manhattanhenge in 2024: See it tonight and tomorrow night

Each year around May 29 and July 12, New Yorkers watch for Manhattanhenge, an alignment of the sunset along city streets. Get ready for it on July 12 and 13!

Summer Triangle star Deneb is distant and luminous

When you gaze at the bright star Deneb, you’re gazing across thousands of light-years of space at one of the bright stars of the huge Summer Triangle asterism.

World Population Day 2024 is today, July 11

Today is World Population Day, organized by the UN and observed on July 11 every year. This year's theme is "To leave no one behind, count everyone."

Summer Triangle star: Altair is variable and spins fast!

Altair, in the constellation Aquila the Eagle, is one of the closest stars to our solar system. It's variable in an unusual way, and it spins very fast!