Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Astronomers scrutinize Black Widow pulsar

They observed 2 intense regions of radiation on this rapidly spinning pulsar some 6,500 light-years away. "Like seeing a flea on the surface of Pluto," they said.

Deborah Byrd

May 23, 2018

Sunrise from Sea Bright, New Jersey

One World Trade Center - aka Freedom Tower - is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Deborah Byrd

May 23, 2018

Milky Way center over Pondicherry, India

Photographer Karthik Easvur reminds us that our galaxy's center is 25,000 light-years away. So light from the galactic center that reached the sensor of his camera started its journey 25,000 years ago.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2018

Situation at Kilauea Volcano ‘steadily worsening’

A large explosion happened on May 18 at Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, and, at that time, the 1st serious injury was reported. USGS warned of the release of toxic gases in a plume called a laze, which happens when molten lava hits sea water. Images and videos here.

Deborah Byrd

May 20, 2018

TESS planet-hunter snaps 1st test image, swings by moon

How many unseen worlds orbit these stars? The TESS planet-hunter is designed to find nearby exoplanets, between 30 and 300 light-years away.

Deborah Byrd

May 19, 2018

Scientists measure rise in ozone-destroying chemical

Report on CFC-11 - an illegal chemical responsible for ozone-depletion in Earth's atmosphere - now apparently on an upswing again. Meanwhile, new direct evidence the ban on CFCs is working and the ozone hole is recovering.

Eleanor Imster

Deborah Byrd

May 19, 2018

Shelf cloud over New York

A squall line of severe thunderstorms swept over New York City and the surrounding area last Tuesday, creating dramatic skies.

Deborah Byrd

May 19, 2018

See it! Young moon and Venus

The returning moon and brightest planet were near each other in the sky the last 2 evenings. Don't miss these gorgeous photos from the EarthSky community.

Deborah Byrd

May 18, 2018

Wall-E and Eva set record, snag pic

The 1st-ever interplanetary CubeSats - nicknamed Wall-E and Eva - are now on their way to Mars. They set a new CubeSat distance record on May 8. Then Wall-E turned back and grabbed an image of the Earth and moon.

Deborah Byrd

May 17, 2018

Meet the fastest-growing black hole

Because it sucks in so much gas, this black hole appears ultra-luminous. If it sat at the center of our Milky Way, we'd see it shining 10 times more brightly than a full moon.

Deborah Byrd

May 16, 2018

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.