Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

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.

Circumhorizon arc or iridescent cloud?

It's easy to confuse a circumhorizon arc with an iridescent cloud, and vice versa. Circumhorizon arcs are more commonly seen at this time of year.

Life’s building blocks found in Orion Nebula

Scientists have found carbon compounds - life's building blocks - in a planet-forming disk, encircling a star in the famous Orion Nebula.

Best EarthSky photos: Moon and Jupiter, June 2023

On the morning of June 14, 2023, the moon and Jupiter were near one another, as seen by people around the globe. It was beautiful!