Posts by

Deborah Byrd

NASA study: Texas wind farms cause local warming

A NASA study says part of west-central Texas covered by four large wind farms warmed at a rate of .72 degrees Celsius per decade in contrast to nearby regions without wind farms.

Deborah Byrd

April 30, 2012

View from space: Dust storm in Gobi Desert

Dust from the Gobi Desert blew over eastern China on April 27, 2012. See the satellite image for a great view from space.

Deborah Byrd

April 30, 2012

Tornado touches down near Toulouse, France on April 29

Only minor damage was reported including collapsed walls and uprooted trees. Meteorologic reported the tornado as an F1, which would mean winds of 73-112 mph.

Deborah Byrd

April 29, 2012

Why was Venus so bright in late April and early May 2012?

Venus is at its brightest in late April and early May 2012. It's so bright it might surprise you. Some will report it as a UFO. But why so bright?

Deborah Byrd

April 29, 2012

Pollution masked warming over eastern US in 20th century

A study suggests eastern U.S. was kept cooler than it would have been otherwise in 20th century due to a particular type of pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Deborah Byrd

April 29, 2012

View from space: U.S. national parks

National Parks Week in the U.S. extends through this weekend, and admission is free at all 397 national parks. If you can't go, check out these cool photos.

Deborah Byrd

April 28, 2012

Bright is the new black in cities, study shows

Black roofs can be up to 30°C (54°F) hotter than brigiht roofs - those fitted to grow plants - or plain ordinary white roofs, according to scientists in New York.

Deborah Byrd

April 26, 2012

Killer asteroids struck Earth 1.8 to 3.8 billion years ago

Rocks in Australia contain sand-sized circles and particles, thought to be formerly molten droplets ejected into space when killer asteroids struck Earth.

Deborah Byrd

April 26, 2012

Ocean currents, not warm air, are driving Antarctic ice loss

West Antarctica loses ice to the sea even if a summer isn't warm enough to melt snow on top of the glaciers. The oceans do the work from below, a study shows.

Deborah Byrd

April 25, 2012

Best image yet of ongoing activity at Popocatépetl volcano

Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano has been active since mid-April 2012, and now NASA has produced the best image yet of this spectacular volcano.

Deborah Byrd

April 24, 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.