Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

True polar wander: A shift 84 million years ago

The fossil magnetism of rocks in Italy revealed true polar wander - a major shift in Earth's outer shell relative to its spin axis - 84 million years ago.

Earth in a tunnel? Decades-old mystery unfolds

A new astrophysical model connects local structures in our neighborhood of the Milky Way and depicts Earth in a tunnel in space.

Parker Solar Probe has a Venus flyby today

Parker Solar Probe will perform a close Venus flyby on October 16, 2021, to send the probe on toward its 10th close approach to the sun in November.

51 Eridani b: An exoplanet orbits its star

An amazing animation of the young, Jupiter-like exoplanet 51 Eridani b, in orbit around its star, only 96 light-years away.

Like Baily’s Beads

"Like Bailey's Beads," said Meiying Lee, who created this magnificent composite of thin, waning moons.

Pluto’s atmosphere is disappearing

Pluto's atmosphere is disappearing. The dwarf planet's atmosphere is freezing as it moves farther from the sun in its orbit and falling to the surface.

2 old open star clusters merging in the Milky Way

An astronomer in Brazil has looked toward a known open star cluster and found 2 old open star clusters, merging in our Milky Way galaxy.

Moon and Venus on October 7, 8, 9 and 10

The young moon and Venus will be near each other in the sky from about October 7 to 10, 2021. The Southern Hemisphere has the best view!

Where are the water worlds? New tool to find out

Where are the water worlds? Since water means life (as we know it), scientists studying exoplanets want to know. A new tool might help find them.

Super-Earth, mini-Neptune or sub-Neptune?

The exoplanet community hasn't yet converged on the best name for exoplanets that are 1.7 - 3.5 Earth-radii. Super-Earth, mini-Neptune, sub-Neptune?