Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Challenger disaster: 40 years ago today

January 28, 1986. On today's date 40 years ago, the Space Shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) exploded and broke apart 73 seconds into its flight.

Deborah Byrd

January 28, 2026

Orion the Hunter is easy to spot in January

Orion the Hunter is one of the easiest constellations to identify thanks to Orion's Belt, the 3 medium-bright stars in a short, straight row at his waist.

Deborah Byrd

January 21, 2026

Leonid meteor shower: All you need to know in 2026

2026's Leonid meteor shower will peak on the morning of November 18, 2026. Watch for meteors after midnight until dawn. A 1st quarter moon will be present.

Deborah Byrd

Marcy Curran

January 13, 2026

Geminid meteor shower peaks December 13-14

The Geminids are here! The 2026 shower peaks December 13-14. Watch in a dark sky. The peak time of night is probably around 2 a.m.

Deborah Byrd

Marcy Curran

January 6, 2026

Are the December solstice and January perihelion related?

December solstice 2025 occurred on December 21. Earth will be closest to the sun about 2 weeks later, on January 3. Coincidence?

Deborah Byrd

January 2, 2026

What is a full moon? All you need to know

The full moon, opposite the sun in its orbit, shows us its sunlit side. The moon appears full a couple of days before and after the exact moment of full moon.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

What’s a Blood Moon? All you need to know

By this definition, Blood Moon is a member of a special kind of lunar tetrad : four total lunar eclipses in a row. Now it's used for any total lunar eclipse.

Bruce McClure

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

The moon illusion makes the moon look huge!

When you see a large-looking moon low in the sky, does the moon look bigger to you? That's the moon illusion that makes the moon look so big.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

What is a last quarter moon?

The last quarter moon appears a week after full moon and a week before new moon. The moon appears half-lit, like half a pie.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

The Big Dipper, the Pointers and Polaris

Want to find Polaris, the North Star? The entire northern sky turns around it. If you can find the Big Dipper, you can always find Polaris.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

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.