Posts by

Deborah Byrd

It’s time for Manhattanhenge, part 2! Here’s how to see it

Each year around May 28 and July 11, New Yorkers watch for Manhattanhenge, an alignment of the sunset along city streets. Here's how to see it.

Deborah Byrd

July 10, 2026

What is a waning crescent moon?

You'll find a waning crescent moon in the east before sunrise. It's waning toward new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and the sun.

Deborah Byrd

July 10, 2026

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is overhead now

Corona Borealis, aka the Northern Crown, looks like the letter C. A dark sky is best for seeing this faint semicircle of stars. It's between Arcturus and Vega.

Deborah Byrd

July 9, 2026

Summer Triangle star: Vega is bright and blue-white

The Summer Triangle star pattern hangs in the east on July and August evenings in the Northern Hemisphere. Its brightest star is blue-white Vega.

Larry Sessions

Deborah Byrd

July 8, 2026

Opportunity left for Mars on July 7, 2003

NASA's Opportunity rover launched to Mars on July 7, 2003. The rover surpassed all expectations. It officially ended its mission on February 13, 2019.

Deborah Byrd

July 7, 2026

Earth farthest from sun – at aphelion – July 6, 2026

Earth farthest from sun - aka aphelion - occurs on July 6. That's despite the fact that it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Deborah Byrd

July 1, 2026

June full moon – Strawberry Moon – is the lowest (highest) of the year

The June full moon - the Strawberry Moon - occurs on the overnight of June 29, 2026, and it will lie in the constellation Sagittarius. And it's a micromoon.

John Jardine Goss

Deborah Byrd

June 29, 2026

Why do stars twinkle, but planets don’t?

Seen from space, both stars and planets shine steadily, but seen from Earth, stars twinkle while planets (usually) do not. Here’s why.

Deborah Byrd

June 28, 2026

Mars sometimes is bright and sometimes is faint

Mars emerged in the April 2026 morning sky and is visible in the morning through year's end. Its next opposition - when it's brightest - is February 2027.

Deborah Byrd

June 25, 2026

Why aren’t the hottest days on the solstice?

June solstice 2026 is the longest day for us in the Northern Hemisphere, but the hottest days for the northern Earth are still to come. Why is that?

Deborah Byrd

June 24, 2026

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.