Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Saturn spacecraft prepares to ring-graze

On November 30, the Cassini spacecraft will begin a series of 20 orbits that fly high above and below Saturn's poles, plunging just past the outer edge of the main rings.

Deborah Byrd

November 24, 2016

Moon with fall foliage

The moon caught one morning this week. The moon is waning now, and so is the year.

Deborah Byrd

November 23, 2016

GoPros go to edge of space

Photog Adventures sent its GoPros to space, captured some stunning views, and then lost the cameras for 15 days. Follow the adventure in this video.

Deborah Byrd

November 23, 2016

A mystery in the clouds

A peculiar ring in the clouds over Warwickshire, England this month sent the Cloud Appreciation Society's Gavin Pretor-Pinney on a hunt for answers.

Deborah Byrd

November 23, 2016

New record-breaking Milky Way satellite

It's record-breaking because it's so faint. Could this galaxy be a sign of many yet-unknown dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way? And do we now have a way to detect them? Astronomical theorists hope so!

Deborah Byrd

November 21, 2016

A new major supercluster of galaxies

The Vela supercluster had gone unnoticed due to its location behind the plane of the Milky Way, where dust and stars obscure the view.

Deborah Byrd

November 21, 2016

New view of Ceres, as Dawn moves higher

Remember the famous bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres? Some thought they looked like signs of an alien intelligence. Here's a recent view from a new angle, by the Dawn spacecraft.

Deborah Byrd

November 21, 2016

Summer storm off New Hampshire

As autumn unfolds ... remember last summer? Josh Blash captured this cool image in June, showing a summer storm in the Atlantic, just off the coast.

Deborah Byrd

November 20, 2016

Drought still grips southern California

California has dry spells, but the state hasn't had exceptional drought since at least 2000. Now, about 20 percent of California is in exceptional drought, and many trees have died.

Eleanor Imster

Deborah Byrd

November 19, 2016

Nova in Sagittarius

There's a nova in the sky now. It's faint and requires a dark sky to be seen, but photos pick it up more easily. Astrophotographer Jeff Dai captured it from Thailand.

Deborah Byrd

November 19, 2016

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.