Posts by

Deborah Byrd

How and when did the first planets form in our universe?

At an estimated age of 12.8 billion years, the HIP 11952 exoplanet system is one of the oldest systems known so far.

Deborah Byrd

September 15, 2012

Research in Africa reveals new species of monkey

The owl-faced monkey with a blue bottom is new to science. It's only the second time a new monkey species has been found in Africa in the last 28 years.

Deborah Byrd

September 13, 2012

Two asteroids to sweep past Earth September 13-14

This post gives links for seeing potentially hazardous asteroid 2012 QG42 with a telescope, or watching its passage online.

Deborah Byrd

September 13, 2012

Astronomers see explosion in Jupiter’s cloudtops

It might have been a small undetected comet, perhaps similar to the fractured Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which was widely seen to strike Jupiter in 1994.

Deborah Byrd

September 11, 2012

Dawn spacecraft left asteroid Vesta, now headed for Ceres

Dawn is now officially on its way to its second destination, the dwarf planet Ceres. This post also contains a video portrait of Vesta, by Dawn.

Deborah Byrd

September 9, 2012

In the future, airplanes might flock like birds

Toulouse-based aircraft company Airbus sees airplanes of the future flocking along express skyways to cut time and emissions.

Deborah Byrd

September 7, 2012

View from space: Curiosity rover’s tire tracks on Mars

Check out this image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing tire tracks on Mars left by the Curiosity rover.

Deborah Byrd

September 7, 2012

Does dark matter exist in our sun’s neighborhood?

Astronomers have grown convinced over decades that dark matter exists on the large scale of our universe. But what about our neighborhood of space?

Deborah Byrd

September 5, 2012

Rover Curiosity provides 3-D view of its landing site

Cool 3-D image from Curiosity rover on Mars!

Deborah Byrd

September 4, 2012

WISE mission finds millions of black holes

"We've got the black holes cornered," said the lead scientist Daniel Stern. "WISE is finding them across the full sky ... "

Deborah Byrd

September 2, 2012

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.