Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Jupiter and its 4 largest moons

Earth will soon pass between Jupiter and the sun, so the best time of year to see this giant planet is upon us.

Deborah Byrd

March 4, 2016

Looking for ETs who see us

Astronomers speculate on some 100,000 nearby stars could harbor planets with inhabitants who might have discovered us and might be trying to contact us.

Deborah Byrd

March 3, 2016

Moon halo, planets, star

Stephen Marceau in Eastern Australia captured two planets and a star inside a lunar halo this week. Beautiful!

Deborah Byrd

March 3, 2016

False positives in search for living worlds

As the search for habitable exoworlds heats up, scientists will want to know: Is it life, or merely the illusion of life?

Deborah Byrd

March 2, 2016

Why space bodies come in different sizes

Objects in space aren't the same size, but why not? A scientist used a theory he formulated earlier - to explain patterns in nature on Earth - to suggest a reason.

Deborah Byrd

March 1, 2016

Moonrise over Arctic Ocean

A psychedelic moon rising over the Arctic Ocean, created by a strong temperature inversion.

Deborah Byrd

March 1, 2016

Frozen beach and sea smoke

Sea smoke forms when very cold air moves over warmer water. Josh Blash caught this sea smoke from Rye, New Hampshire.

Deborah Byrd

February 27, 2016

Three friends, Milky Way, planets

On a beach in South Carolina, three friends watched as the morning twilight met the Milky Way.

Deborah Byrd

February 26, 2016

Two views of ISS

You can capture the International Space Station as a long streak crossing your sky, or you can catch it close-up. Dan Wyman in California captured both.

Deborah Byrd

February 25, 2016

Moonrise at MMT Observatory

Monday's full moonrise at MMT, part of Whipple Observatory - located on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, - 34 miles (55 km) south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Deborah Byrd

February 23, 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.