Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Cost of food in U.S. to rise due to drought

A USDA forecast, issued yesterday, suggests a 3 percent to 4 percent rise in the cost of food in 2013, due to drought now affecting two-thirds of the U.S.

Deborah Byrd

July 26, 2012

Luciano Iess: Liquid ocean on Saturn’s moon Titan

Cassini spacecraft observation of "tides" in the solid surface of Titan suggest that this large moon of the planet Saturn has an ocean below ground.

Jorge Salazar

Deborah Byrd

July 23, 2012

Happy people video dancing on planet Earth

Can you watch this video of happy people dancing around the world without smiling? Bet you can't.

Deborah Byrd

July 20, 2012

Asteroid size of city block to sweep past July 22

There's nothing to fear from asteroid 2002 AM31. It'll pass within 14 times the moon’s distance from Earth. But you might enjoy watching it sweep past!

Deborah Byrd

July 20, 2012

Dust from Africa arrives in Florida July 19

People in south and southwest Florida are seeing hazy skies and unusual sunsets. This is the first large dust from Africa to arrive in Florida in 2012.

Deborah Byrd

July 20, 2012

Lightning on Saturn found on the day side!

Scientists say this lightning on Saturn is approximately 100 miles (200 kilometers) in diameter when it exits the tops of the clouds.

Deborah Byrd

July 19, 2012

Exoplanet smaller than Earth, only 33 light-years away

The little exoplanet UCF-1.01 might be the nearest world to our solar system that's smaller than our home planet.

Deborah Byrd

July 18, 2012

Greenland glacier giving birth to massive iceberg

An ice island twice the size of Manhattan is breaking off a Greenland glacier this week. Here are three sequential views from NASA's Aqua satellite.

Deborah Byrd

July 18, 2012

Auroras widely seen July 14. Chance on July 15, too

A powerful X-flare on the sun on July 12 was aimed directly toward Earth. Its effects arrived July 14 with shimmering auroras. Aurora alert!

Deborah Byrd

July 15, 2012

Robot copilot for your car

Sure, there are seat belts and airbags to help you survive a collision. This new robot copilot for your car might help you avoid the collision in the first place.

Deborah Byrd

July 13, 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.