Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

Iridescent contrails? Rainbow contrails? Something else?

They look like iridescent contrails. But, are they? We asked Les Cowley, an atmospheric optics expert, who gave a different opinion.

Find M4: An easy to spot globular cluster near Antares

Find M4, one of the easiest globular star for beginners to spot, located just next to reddish Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion.

Is an Atlantic Ocean current collapse imminent?

Climate is complicated. And today scientists are speaking of an Atlantic Ocean current collapse that could dramatically change Earth's weather.

What are lightning sprites? How to photograph them

Lightning sprites - aka red sprites - are electrical discharges that happen above thunderstorms. Learn how to see and photograph them here.

Iridescent clouds have rainbow colors

Clouds with rainbow colors are called iridescent clouds. The names comes from Iris, the Greek personification of the rainbow. Photos here.

1st dark stars?! Maybe, say astrophysicists

Scientists say they've found the 1st dark stars - brighter than our sun - powered by dark matter particles that collide and annihilate themselves.

How does Earth look from outer space?

How does Earth look from space? You could see it from Neptune, but it's brighter from closer locations. Spacecraft photos tell the tale.

Did the Anthropocene begin in the 1950s?

A scientific working group declared that a new epoch - the Anthropocene - began in 1950, with evidence from a lake in Ontario, Canada.

Record highs at sea and on land, and a ‘shocking’ decline in Antarctic ice

The World Meteorological Organization held a press conference on July 10 to confirm record highs at sea and on land, and a steep decline in Antarctic sea ice.

Opportunity left for Mars on July 7, 2003

NASA's Opportunity rover launched to Mars on July 7, 2003. The rover surpassed all expectations. It officially ended its mission on February 13, 2019.

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