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Posts by
Deborah Byrd
Gaia’s 3rd data release, in numbers
The much-anticipated 3rd data release from the Gaia space observatory happened today.
December 3, 2020
Video shows Arecibo telescope crash
New video shows Arecibo's receiver platform breaking loose and falling onto the radio telescope dish 400 feet below. No one was injured.
December 3, 2020
Monster sunspot AR2786 swings into better view
The sun is becoming active again as it enters Solar Cycle 25. This week, scientists' predictions of sunspots were proven via photos from astronomers around the world. Giant sunspot AR2786 can be viewed with proper filters and may create strong flares that reach Earth.
November 29, 2020
November 23 moon and ISS
The International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes To the eye alone, it looks like a bright, moving star. Various online tools can help you capture its fleeting pass in front of the moon or sun.
November 24, 2020
NSF says Arecibo telescope will be dismantled
Heartbreaking news. After 57 years as a world-class resource for astronomy, the iconic Arecibo telescope is to be decommissioned, or withdrawn from service, the NSF announced today. The dish-type radio telescope - built into a natural depression in the landscape in Puerto Rico - appears to be headed for a "controlled disassembly."
November 19, 2020
A statement on Arecibo Observatory’s engineering options
Worrisome news regarding broken cables and engineering options at Arecibo Observatory, the iconic big radio dish in Puerto Rico.
November 19, 2020
Bridenstine to step down as NASA administrator
Jim Bridenstine is leaving the post of NASA chief administrator.
November 12, 2020
Boom! Bam! Boom! How to make a triple crater on Mars
Like many worlds in our solar system, Mars has prominent impact craters. A particularly unusual example is shown in this new image from ESA’s Mars Express: an ancient triplet composed of 3 overlapping craters.
November 11, 2020
The sun is becoming active again
EarthSky community members have captured the giant sunspot region - AR 2781 - currently making its way across the sun's visible surface.
November 7, 2020
Astronomers release a black hole family portrait
"Black hole family portrait" is a fancy way of saying "new catalog." But it's a very important and exciting catalog, released October 28, 2020, by gravitational wave astronomers, containing 39 new signals from black hole or neutron star collisions.
November 1, 2020
