Posts by

Deborah Byrd

No big planets at Alpha Centauri, but maybe small ones

"Because Alpha Centauri is so close, it's our first stop outside our solar system. There are almost certain to be small, rocky planets around Alpha Centauri A and B."

Deborah Byrd

December 18, 2017

Geminid meteor, rising moon and tarantula

Spiders like stars, too.

Deborah Byrd

December 17, 2017

Astronomers spot primordial galaxies swimming in dark matter

Astronomers thought the 1st galaxies would be small. Now they've spotted 2 giant galaxies from when the universe was only 5% of its current age.

Deborah Byrd

December 16, 2017

IAU approves 86 more star names

"These professional astronomers are claiming the exclusive right to give 'approved' names to the stars. But the stars - and the sky - belong to all of us."

Deborah Byrd

December 15, 2017

Sirius in many colors

When you see the sky's brightest star - Sirius - low in the sky, you're seeing it shine through an extra thickness of Earth's atmosphere. At such times, its colorful flashing might surprise you.

Deborah Byrd

December 15, 2017

The 2017 Geminid meteor shower was thought to have a better-than-average chance of producing a rich display, since the Geminids' parent body - a strange rock-comet called 3200 Phaethon - is nearby. And so it was! Photos here.

Deborah Byrd

December 15, 2017

Astronomers chart galaxy orbits in our Local Supercluster

"For the first time, we are not only visualizing the detailed structure of our Local Supercluster of galaxies, but we are also seeing how the structure developed over the history of the universe."

Deborah Byrd

December 12, 2017

Long-lasting moon halo

Halos around the sun or moon are caused by ice crystals, like those in high cirrus clouds. Sometimes you can't see clouds, but - in these photos - you can.

Deborah Byrd

December 12, 2017

10 tips for watching the Geminids

Tip: On December 14, 2017, the peak morning of the shower, the waning crescent moon will be sweeping past the bright planet Jupiter.

Deborah Byrd

December 11, 2017

California in flames

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the 2017 California wildfire season is the worst on record.

Deborah Byrd

December 9, 2017

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.