Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Most luminous galaxy in the universe

This galaxy is very distant. It shines with a luminosity of some 300 trillion suns. It's one of a new class of objects discovered via NASA's WISE mission.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2015

Newly named dinosaur had a keen nose

It was a fierce predator, "not a dinosaur you'd want to mess with," said the scientist whose analysis of an ancient skull revealed a brand new species.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2015

Video: Paddle boarders meet orcas

Imagine you're paddle-boarding, and an orca - killer whale - pops up on the ocean surface near you. Two amazing and beautiful videos, here.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2015

See it! Best photos of moon, Venus, Jupiter

Photos from EarthSky community of the young moon, and bright planets Venus and Jupiter on these May evenings, 2015. Watch for them in the west!

Deborah Byrd

May 20, 2015

LightSail launch success!

Sailing on sunbeams. LightSail successfully launched May 20 at 11:05am EDT (1505 UTC). Info on how to follow from here, below.

Deborah Byrd

May 20, 2015

A balancing rock on Rosetta’s comet?

In close-up images via the orbiting Rosetta spacecraft, the rock looks poised like a ballerina, with only a tiny fraction of its surface touching the ground.

Deborah Byrd

May 19, 2015

Origin of Antarctica’s eerie Blood Falls

New work confirms zones of liquid salt water hundreds of meters below the bright red waterfall in icy Antarctica, known as Blood Falls.

Deborah Byrd

May 18, 2015

This date in science: Dramatic space photos of Pavlof Volcano

As Pavlof Volcano poured out lava and ash, ISS astronauts managed to capture these seldom-seen oblique views of the volcano.

Deborah Byrd

May 18, 2015

Mountain shadow on clouds

Tenerife in the Canary Islands is one of the best places in the world to look up. Here's the shadow of Roque del Conde, a landmark mountain there, cast on clouds.

Deborah Byrd

May 17, 2015

Watch a moon shadow on Jupiter

This composite represents an hour of Jupiter-watching. Watch a moon shadow on Jupiter's face, and see how far the Great Red Spot moves in that time.

Deborah Byrd

May 16, 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.