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.

Cristina Ortiz

Deborah Byrd

August 2, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 25, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 22, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 22, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 16, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 14, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 13, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 11, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

July 1, 2023

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.

Deborah Byrd

June 29, 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.