Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Moving shadows around a planet-forming star

This star has a spiral disk of dust around it. Processes in the inner disk - winds, or swirls or clashes of pebbles - seem to be casting shadows on the outer disk.

Deborah Byrd

November 13, 2017

Don’t miss Jupiter and Venus at dawn!

Spectacular Venus-Jupiter conjunction on Monday! These are the 2 brightest planets, and they'll be less than a moon-width apart. If you do miss them on Monday, keep watching. The moon is about to sweep past them.

Deborah Byrd

November 12, 2017

Cloud shadow mystery … solved?

We published a photo last Tuesday, showing a mountain's shadow. We wondered what caused it. Now - with the help of the EarthSky community - the mystery may be solved.

Deborah Byrd

November 12, 2017

Bright meteor!

The North Taurid meteor shower is peaking around now. It tends to produce a lot of fireballs, or very bright meteors. Keep watching! The shower is sparse, but it goes all month.

Deborah Byrd

November 11, 2017

Study probes Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Plus, a new mission?

A new study shed light on what powers Enceladus' extraordinary geologic activity, while - at a conference in Seattle last week - space visionaries discussed a return to Saturn's geyser moon.

Deborah Byrd

November 11, 2017

What makes zombie ants obey

Zombie ant fungus doesn't attack ants' brains. Instead, the fungus invades an ant's entire body, forming an interconnected 3-D network, forcing the ant to move.

Deborah Byrd

November 9, 2017

Birds and sun, New Delhi, India

C.B. Devgun wrote that it was a foggy morning in New Delhi - November 8, 2017 - when he captured this photo.

Deborah Byrd

November 9, 2017

The zombie star that wouldn’t die

Supernovae like this one - designated iPTF14hls - usually remain bright for about 100 days. This one stayed bright for 600 days. Then, astronomers found a 1954 explosion in the same spot in the sky.

Deborah Byrd

November 8, 2017

Use Pegasus to find Andromeda galaxy

The wonderful Andromeda galaxy! Most distant object we can see with the eye alone. Try using the Great Square of Pegasus to find it in a dark sky.

Deborah Byrd

November 8, 2017

Nickname New Horizons’ next target

The craft that flew by Pluto in 2015 is heading for the Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69. NASA and the New Horizons spacecraft team want you to help nickname it.

Deborah Byrd

November 7, 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.