In December, January and February, we look away from the Milky Way's cloudy core toward the Orion spiral arm, with stars so bright they capture our attention.
What was the Christmas star? Some scientific explanations attempt to explain the Star of Bethlehem, including a planetary conjunction, comet or supernova.
Scientists found that stars in the "S-cluster," a group of young, high-velocity stars orbiting our galaxy's central supermassive black hole, have stable orbits.
Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky's website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She's the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. 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 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. 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.
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