Posts by

Deborah Byrd

See it! Moon sweeps past Venus

People around the world watched this week as the waning crescent moon swept near the very bright planet Venus, and fainter star Aldebaran, in the east before dawn.

Deborah Byrd

July 20, 2017

The Day the Earth Smiled

A mosaic of people on Earth waving at Saturn on July 19, 2013, the day Earth smiled. NASA called it "a global moment of cosmic self-awareness."

Deborah Byrd

July 19, 2017

Have you seen the Mayak satellite?

On July 14, an amateur group in Russia launched a small satellite called Mayak. They said it would become the "brightest shooting star" in the sky. Why'd they do it? Here's how to look for it.

Deborah Byrd

July 18, 2017

Rainbow and road

Photo by Mike Taylor, who is based in Maine. He calls this photo Innuendo.

Deborah Byrd

July 17, 2017

Moon shadow versus sun reflection

This 5-second video shows a reflected image of the sun - a sun glint - as a bright spot crossing Earth from right to left. It also shows a dark spot - the moon's shadow - moving the opposite way.

Deborah Byrd

July 17, 2017

Does your dog pronk?

Among wild animals, pronking may be a way of avoiding predators. But when you see an animal pronk, you can't but think it's leaping for joy.

Deborah Byrd

July 17, 2017

Watch for Venus and Aldebaran

You can't miss the star right next to brilliant planet Venus, in the east before dawn now. It's Aldebaran, the Eye of the Bull in the constellation Taurus.

Deborah Byrd

July 16, 2017

Peering toward the Cosmic Dark Ages

During the Cosmic Dark Ages, our universe matured from a primordial soup of neutral gas to the star-filled cosmos we see today. A new study probes this mysterious time.

Deborah Byrd

July 16, 2017

No commands to Mars craft in late July

NASA says to blame the sun for its moratorium on sending commands to Mars from July 22 to August 1.

Deborah Byrd

July 15, 2017

Strange radio signals from nearby star

A 10-minute observation in May of nearby star Ross 128 yielded a peculiar radio signal. Further observations planned for Sunday night.

Deborah Byrd

July 14, 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.