Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

Violent origins for an Australian meteorite

It was apparently born in an asteroid collision 3.6 billion years ago.

Northern Illinois storm clouds on June 30

A farmer captured this photo of a serious storm sweeping through northern Illinois on Monday, June 30.

Happy anniversary, Cassini spacecraft

June 30 is the 10-year anniversary of the Cassini spacecraft's successful insertion into orbit around Saturn. Imaging team leader Carolyn Porco expresses the wonder.

Nature and man

One frame from a time lapse of the Milky Way, with some light pollution and fast-moving cloud cover ... and an iridium flare.

Amazing purple jelly in the deep sea

Many deep-sea creatures are red, but this one is a strange purple-blue. Oceanographers wonder what benefit there is to being purple under miles of ocean.

In 2014, Ramadan begins June 29 with crescent moon sighting

Ramadan, for observant Muslims, is a time of fasting, prayer and charitable giving.

5.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Arizona and New Mexico

The moderately strong and shallow earthquake had its epicenter near Lordsburg, New Mexico, near the Arizona and New Mexico state line.

Thunderstorms spawn elusive sprites

Sometimes called red sprites or lightning sprites, they are offshoots of large-scale electrical discharges that take place above thunderstorms.

This morning’s moon near Venus

We received many beautiful photos of the June 23 and 24 moon near the planet Venus.

7.9-magnitude earthquake strikes near Alaska

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a local tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake struck on June 23 in the Aleutian Islands.