Posts by

Deborah Byrd

May 21 video of parent comet for Friday night’s meteor shower

Comet 209P/LINEAR is small and dim. We won't see it with the eye. But, Friday night, we might see its debris in the form of a strong, new meteor shower!

Deborah Byrd

May 22, 2014

An expert explains what’s happening to glaciers in Antarctica

What is happening to ice in Antarctica, and why does the reality of ice loss or gain on Earth's southernmost continent seem so elusive?

Deborah Byrd

May 22, 2014

Video of supercell over Wyoming on May 18

Amazing video of a huge supercell that formed outside of Newcastle, Wyoming on Sunday, May 18.

Deborah Byrd

May 22, 2014

Antarctica is losing 159 billion tons of land ice every year

This is Antarctic land ice, not sea ice, which in recent years has expanded. The land ice loss is now thought to drive 0.43 millimeters of global sea level rise per year.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2014

Scientists: 30 U.S. landmarks at risk from climate change

The non-profit U.S. organization Union of Concerned Scientists this week released a report listing 30 iconic landmarks at risk from climate change.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2014

Beautiful solar halo over a building named for a star

The building is a hot water storage tank - containing 26,000,000 liters of water - in Östersund, Sweden. It's named for the star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes.

Deborah Byrd

May 21, 2014

What does looking at the night sky feel like?

What does looking at the night sky feel like to you? Art by T. Richardsen in northern Norway offers this conceptual image.

Deborah Byrd

May 20, 2014

Scientists propose way to turn light to matter

Scientists believe light transformed to matter shortly after the Big Bang. Two UK physicists say they now know how to change light to matter here on Earth.

Deborah Byrd

May 19, 2014

Loss of six glaciers in West Antarctica appears inevitable

Six major glaciers in the West Antarctic ice sheet have "passed the point of no return" with respect to melting into the sea, scientists say.

Matt Daniel

Deborah Byrd

May 13, 2014

Another Comet Pan-STARRS

This Comet Pan-STARRS isn't as bright as the one many saw in spring 2013. But some observers are reporting a recent outburst in brightness ...

Deborah Byrd

May 11, 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.