Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Watching the solstice sunrise

On the day of the June solstice, the sun rises and sets farthest north for the year.

Deborah Byrd

June 21, 2014

Rosetta spacecraft sees target comet wake up, then go quiet again

An April 2014 image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko showed activity, as the comet nears the sun. But a June 4 image shows the comet has quieted again.

Deborah Byrd

June 19, 2014

Is Mauna Loa volcano beginning to stir?

Over the past 13 months, the Volcano Observatory in Hawaii has recorded increased activity on the flanks and summit of Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth.

Deborah Byrd

June 19, 2014

Wonderful video of 30 dolphins surfing

See a pod of dolphins in south Western Australia simultaneously catch a wave.

Deborah Byrd

June 18, 2014

Preliminary data show May 2014 as warmest May on record

It now seems possible that 2014 could become the hottest year on record, if the trend from the first five months continues.

Deborah Byrd

June 18, 2014

Fireflies and stars

"Fireflies flew up into the sky & became stars OR stars descend down onto the tree to become fireflies... " :-)

Deborah Byrd

June 18, 2014

If drinking purified pee weirds you out, don’t live in a desert

Water recycling is probably a better option for California and other desert areas, assuming people can get used to the yuck factor.

Deborah Byrd

June 17, 2014

Double rainbow at sunset

Rain clouds and a sunset combined to create this beautiful double rainbow over New Mexico.

Deborah Byrd

June 17, 2014

Hubble Space Telescope to seek spacecraft target beyond Pluto

NASA okays the use of the Hubble Space Telescope in the search for an object the New Horizons spacecraft can visit after its Pluto encounter in 2015.

Deborah Byrd

June 16, 2014

Physicist and artist unveil designs for warp-speed spacecraft

The technology needed to create a faster-than-light spacecraft doesn't exist yet. Will a spacecraft like this one someday carry humans to the stars?

Deborah Byrd

June 16, 2014

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.