Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Spring fireball season is underway! Watch for them

Spring fireball season is now! The rate of fireballs (bright meteors) often goes up in the Northern Hemisphere by as much as 30% from February through April.

Deborah Byrd

February 6, 2026

Expect high tides whenever we have a supermoon

The sun and moon, among other things, affect the height of the tides. Expect higher-than-usual tides for a few days following a supermoon.

Deborah Byrd

February 4, 2026

Use the Pointers in the Big Dipper to find the North Star

The 2 outermost stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper always point to the North Star, aka Polaris. That's why astronomers call these stars The Pointers.

Deborah Byrd

February 1, 2026

Challenger disaster: 40 years ago today

January 28, 1986. On today's date 40 years ago, the Space Shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) exploded and broke apart 73 seconds into its flight.

Deborah Byrd

January 28, 2026

Orion the Hunter is easy to spot in January

Orion the Hunter is one of the easiest constellations to identify thanks to Orion's Belt, the 3 medium-bright stars in a short, straight row at his waist.

Deborah Byrd

January 21, 2026

We fly between Jupiter and the sun today

Giant Jupiter is closest to Earth for 2026 on January 9. Then Earth will fly between the sun and Jupiter - bringing Jupiter to opposition - on January 10.

Deborah Byrd

January 10, 2026

Why is Jupiter closest to Earth 1 day before opposition?

Jupiter's closest point to the Earth in 2026, is on January 9. The distance between the sun and Jupiter will be 393 million miles, or 633 million km.

Deborah Byrd

January 5, 2026

Are the December solstice and January perihelion related?

December solstice 2025 occurred on December 21. Earth will be closest to the sun about 2 weeks later, on January 3. Coincidence?

Deborah Byrd

January 2, 2026

What is a full moon? All you need to know

The full moon, opposite the sun in its orbit, shows us its sunlit side. The moon appears full a couple of days before and after the exact moment of full moon.

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

Why is Venus so bright in our Earth’s sky?

You can't miss dazzling Venus in the east before dawn. It's the 3rd brightest object in the sky, after the sun and moon. But why is Venus so bright?

Deborah Byrd

January 1, 2026

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.