Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

Baily’s beads seen during a solar eclipse today in 1836

May 15, 1836: Francis Baily, an English astronomer, saw light shining through lunar ridges during an eclipse of the sun. These are now known as Baily's beads.

How to see the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis)

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is an almost-perfect semicircle of stars. Learn to find it and identify its brightest star, and about its mythology.

Blue-white Vega is the sky’s 5th-brightest star

The blue star Vega is the brightest light in the distinctive constellation Lyra the Harp. Vega is easy to spot in May by looking northeast in the evening.

Today in science: Neil Armstrong’s close call

On May 6, 1968, more than a year before he walked on the moon, Neil Armstrong narrowly escaped disaster during training. See Neil Armstrong's close call here.

1st American in space, 65 years ago today

Alan Shepard became the 1st American in space on May 5, 1961. His suborbital flight took place just 3 weeks after the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth.

Happy May Day! Today is an astronomy holiday

Happy May Day! This annual celebration has its roots in astronomy as 1 of 4 cross-quarter days. Dancing around a maypole is a traditional May Day celebration.

Hercules is between 2 bright stars: Vega and Arcturus

The bright stars Arcturus and Vega can help you find the constellation Hercules and its Keystone asterism. Hercules is home to 2 fabulous globular clusters.

Here’s how to see the Lunar X and V at 1st-quarter moon

Lunar X and Lunar V are optical features on the moon. They are visible through a telescope for several hours around the time of the 1st quarter moon.

Summer solstice in Mars’ southern hemisphere is April 25

The summer solstice in Mars' southern hemisphere happens on April 25, 2026. Summertime there typically kicks off dust season on the red planet.

Happy Earth Day! Why do we celebrate it on April 22?

April 22 is the date of Earth Day in part because of Arbor Day, an earlier observance. The focus for 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet."