Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Strong earthquake in Guatemala injures many, one dead

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Guatemala last night caused injuries, in part from collapsing buildings. One woman died of a heart attack during the quake.

Deborah Byrd

September 7, 2013

LADEE to the moon!

A night launch yesterday from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia sent the LADEE spacecraft to the moon. It'll study the lunar atmosphere and dust.

Deborah Byrd

September 7, 2013

Stargazers before dawn

Three stargazers up before dawn with the planet Jupiter, and the V-shaped Face of Taurus the Bull. Orion the Hunter is just over the horizon. Plus a green meteor!

Deborah Byrd

September 6, 2013

Beauty comes to a New Mexico burn area

The amazing beauty of an older burn area in the Valle Vidal Unit of the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, in late summer 2013.

Deborah Byrd

September 5, 2013

Plankton bloom on Lake Ontario

All the Great Lakes have suffered these harmful algal blooms. Drought, invasive species, runoff and sewage, and warmer-than-average temps all contribute.

Deborah Byrd

September 3, 2013

Earthshine on this morning’s waning moon

Just as bright moonlight can illuminate an earthly landscape, so bright Earthlight can illuminate a moonscape. That earthly light on the moon is called earthshine.

Deborah Byrd

September 2, 2013

You might see some meteors in early September

The peak of the Aurigid meteor shower has passed, but you still might see meteors in early September. Expect a handful each hour in a clear, dark sky.

Deborah Byrd

September 1, 2013

Newly forming star stretched a light-year long

Hot, bright stars generate harsh stellar winds that are blast ultraviolet radiation toward a protostar, sculpting it into the light-year-long shape seen here.

Deborah Byrd

September 1, 2013

Jupiter and moon before dawn on August 31

People around the world enjoyed seeing the bright planet Jupiter near the waning crescent moon on the morning of August 31, 2013.

Deborah Byrd

August 31, 2013

Rover Curiosity sees Martian moon Phobos eclipse the sun

When Phobos passed in front of the sun, it created an annular or "ring" eclipse. That is, the sun's surface appeared in a ring around the little moon in silhouette.

Deborah Byrd

August 30, 2013

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.