Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Einstein ring helps weigh a black hole

Astronomers have "weighed" only the nearest supermassive black holes. Now, with a gravity lens and Einstein ring, they've weighed one 12 billion light-years away.

Deborah Byrd

October 3, 2015

Planets, east before dawn

Brightest planets Venus and Jupiter are up before dawn now. Mars is there, too. Mercury will soon join. During October ... wow! They're going to put on a show.

Deborah Byrd

October 2, 2015

Hurricane Joaquin, 5 a.m., October 1, 2015

Hurricane Joaquin will batter the central Bahamas with hurricane force winds, storm surge and heavy rain through tonight.

Deborah Byrd

October 1, 2015

High ‘supermoon tides’ strike coasts

Sunday's supermoon, combined with an 18.6-year lunar cycle, caused high tides on both sides of the Atlantic this week. There were many flood warnings and alerts in effect in the UK on Tuesday night. In eastern North America, Tropical Storm Joaquin might combine with high tides to cause flooding.

Deborah Byrd

September 29, 2015

Fires in Indonesia spread smoke

Indonesia's annual land-clearing fires sent smoke into other parts of Southeast Asia last week. In Singapore, schools closed Friday as air pollution hit a high.

Deborah Byrd

September 29, 2015

India launches its first astronomy satellite

India has reached for the stars with a successful launch of its first astronomy satellite. ASTROSAT carries India's version of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Deborah Byrd

September 28, 2015

Evidence of flowing water on Mars

Mars is a desert world, but it's not completely dry. Scientists have found liquid water flowing on Mars.

Deborah Byrd

September 28, 2015

Best photos of the total lunar eclipse

Best photos of the September 27-28, 2015 total eclipse of the moon from awesome EarthSky community members! Thanks to all who posted.

Deborah Byrd

September 28, 2015

How to watch tonight’s eclipse online

On the wrong part of Earth for tonight's eclipse? Clouded out? Here are links to online viewing.

Deborah Byrd

September 27, 2015

Rosetta’s comet has daily water-ice cycle

"We found a mechanism that replenishes the surface of the comet with fresh ice at every rotation. This keeps the comet 'alive'," said a researcher.

Deborah Byrd

September 25, 2015

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.