Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

World population to hit 8 billion this month

The world population will reach 8 billion people on November 15, 2022. Read more about population trends across the world.

Space-based solar power to become reality?

Space-based solar power is a long-held dream of space visionaries. ESA will present a plan to implement it at an upcoming council meeting later this month.

Hot Jupiters keep their stars young

A study of multiple hot Jupiters - using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory - confirms that hot Jupiters do cause their stars to appear younger than they are.

New sun-hugging asteroids: ‘Biggest in 8 years’

Using a special camera, astronomers have found several new sun-hugging asteroids, including the biggest potentially hazardous asteroid in 8 years.

Perseus the Hero and a Demon Star

The star name Algol comes from the Arabic for "head of the demon." Come to know this star, and point it out to your friends this Halloween.

Super-fast jet blasts from neutron star collision

Astronomers discovered and measured a super-fast jet, thought to be the result of 2 neutron stars colliding. The jet is moving at 99.97% the speed of light!

Moon, Mars, Pleiades, more, on October 13 and 14

Moon, Mars, Pleiades ... and Aldebaran! Look for them all, overnight on October 13-14, and on October 14-15, 2022. Notice how bright Mars is now.

Juno flyby of Europa and a new, clear image

Images - including a detailed, closeup one released October 5, 2022 - from the September 29 Juno flyby of Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter.

Dino-killing asteroid caused global tsunami

The dino-killing asteroid of 66 million years ago created a global tsunami, with some 30,000 times the energy of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Sputnik launched 65 years ago

The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik I satellite into Earth orbit on October 4, 1957. Sputnik’s unassuming beep ushered in the Space Age 65 years ago.