Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Houses burning in Grindavík as Iceland volcano erupts

The fishing town of Grindavík in southwest Iceland is being evacuated after lava from an Iceland volcano entered the town Sunday morning, destroying homes.

Deborah Byrd

January 14, 2024

OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample container finally unstuck

After months of effort, NASA has finally removed two stubborn fasteners that prevented access to the asteroid sample from Bennu.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Deborah Byrd

Dave Adalian

January 13, 2024

Farthest fast radio burst, in a weird place

The most distant known fast radio burst flashed from an unlikely place: a collection of galaxies that existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old.

Deborah Byrd

January 12, 2024

What is a penumbral eclipse of the moon?

There are 3 kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral. A penumbral eclipse is very subtle. You can notice a shading on the moon's face.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2024

Mighty earthquake rocks Japan. Coastal areas evacuated

Mighty earthquake rocks Japan! The earthquake measured magnitude 7.5 according to USGS. It struck Japan on Monday afternoon, local time, prompting strong tsunami warnings.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2024

Lenticular clouds look like UFOs

Lenticular clouds look like UFOs. See photos of lenticular clouds in various parts of the world, from the EarthSky community.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2024

Wow! Polar stratospheric clouds spotted across the UK

Polar stratospheric clouds - also called nacreous clouds or mother-of-pearl clouds - have been putting on a show this week. Check out these beautiful images.

Deborah Byrd

December 22, 2023

Iceland volcano erupts! See a livestream here

After weeks of earthquakes, an Iceland volcano began erupting powerfully on December 18, 2023. It was a bigger eruption than volcanologists had predicted!

Deborah Byrd

December 19, 2023

10 tips for watching the Geminids in 2023

The Geminids make up a rich and much-loved annual meteor shower that peaks in mid-December. Here are 10 tips for watching the Geminids in 2023.

Deborah Byrd

December 13, 2023

When our sun dies, what will happen to Earth?

A study suggests our sun is about the lowest mass star that - when it dies - produces a visible, though faint, planetary nebula. What happens when our sun dies.

Deborah Byrd

Eleanor Imster

December 12, 2023

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.