Posts by

Deborah Byrd

NASA’s DART mission unleashed a blitz of boulders into space

Space rocks ejected during the DART mission carried 3 times more momentum than the spacecraft itself. This factor could influence planetary defense missions.

Deborah Byrd

July 9, 2025

Human dam-building has caused a small (but astonishing) pole shift

Human dam-building - nearly 7,000 dams from 1835 to 2011 - has shifted Earth's poles and caused a drop in global sea levels.

Deborah Byrd

July 8, 2025

Double detonation supernova destroyed this star!

Check out this amazing image of a supernova remnant, showing its star exploded twice! And hear from the scientists who created the image.

Deborah Byrd

July 4, 2025

Another SpaceX Starship explosion! Huge fireball during test

A SpaceX Starship upper stage exploded during a static-fire test on June 18, at SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. See the video.

Deborah Byrd

June 19, 2025

Alphecca, a jewel in Corona Borealis the Northern Crown

Alphecca. Gemma. Alpha Coronae Borealis or simply Alpha Cor Bor. They're all names for a single star, the brightest star in the Northern Crown.

Bruce McClure

Deborah Byrd

May 30, 2025

Starship Flight Test 9 soars to space, then loses control

SpaceX's Starship rocket lifted off for the 9th time. It made it into space, then sprang a leak, spun out of control and tumbled back to Earth's atmosphere.

Deborah Byrd

May 28, 2025

Meet lovable, easy-to-find Corvus the Crow

Corvus the Crow is a small constellation, recognizable for its compact, boxy shape. It's a fun one! You can find it by locating Spica, the brightest star in Virgo.

Deborah Byrd

Kelly Kizer Whitt

May 17, 2025

Massive wildfire in New Jersey still burning. Images here.

The massive wildfire in New Jersey - which began burning in Ocean County yesterday - has burned thousands of acres, forced evacuations and closed roads.

Deborah Byrd

April 23, 2025

Massive Myanmar earthquake. Hundreds feared dead.

The 7.7-magnitude Myanmar earthquake caused the collapse of an unfinished high-rise in Bangkok, with 81 construction workers inside.

Deborah Byrd

March 28, 2025

Have you seen a white rainbow? That’s a fogbow!

Have you ever seen a rainbow but without any color? That's a fogbow, also called a white rainbow or ghost rainbow. Here's how they form.

Deborah Byrd

February 26, 2025

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.