Posts by

Deborah Byrd

Orion, the Bull, the Pleiades and a meteor

A long bright meteor, too, and on the night of the elusive Unicorn meteor shower ... but not a Unicorn meteor.

Deborah Byrd

December 2, 2019

A better way to convert dog years to human years

Researchers collected DNA samples from 104 Labrador retrievers over a 16-year period. They compared changes in their DNA samples against DNA previously collected from humans. The result? A better sense of what a "dog year" really means.

Deborah Byrd

December 1, 2019

Photos: This week’s moon, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn

What a week it's been for planets! Jupiter and Venus - the 2 brightest planets - were in conjunction last Sunday. Then the moon swept through the evening sky, passing Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Thanks to all in the EarthSky Community who contributed photos! A sampling here ... Links to more in this post.

Deborah Byrd

November 30, 2019

Epic cosmic explosion detected via faster-than-light particles

Space-based observatories detected a violent explosion in a galaxy billions of light-years away. It became the brightest source of high-energy cosmic gamma rays seen so far. Specialized Earth-based telescopes detected it via faster-than-light particles cascading through Earth's atmosphere.

Deborah Byrd

November 24, 2019

Unicorn meteors proved elusive, after all

We've heard no reports so far today from anyone who saw a rich burst of meteors from the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros) last night. Looks like the meteor burst did not happen.

Deborah Byrd

November 22, 2019

ESA studies human hibernation for space travel

In movies and books, fictional astronauts enter ‘suspended animation’ to cross the vastness of space. Recently ESA investigated how real-life crew hibernation would impact a space mission to Mars.

Deborah Byrd

November 19, 2019

Composite image of SpaceX Starlink satellite swarm

SpaceX's Starlink satellite project will eventually place an initial 12,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide worldwide internet access. This image is from the second batch of satellites launched November 11.

Deborah Byrd

November 18, 2019

Ultima Thule renamed to avoid Nazi link

The distant Kuiper Belt object formerly known as 2014 MU69 - later known as Ultima Thule - has been renamed again. Its new name is Arrokoth.

Deborah Byrd

November 13, 2019

Hubble captures a dozen galaxy doppelgangers

The distant galaxy in this image is nicknamed the Sunburst Arc. It's been lensed into multiple images by a massive, intervening galaxy cluster. A recent study revealed that the 4 bright arcs in this Hubble image contain 12 images - cosmic doppelgangers - of this very distant galaxy.

Deborah Byrd

November 13, 2019

Astronomers catch a record-setting X-ray burst

The sudden spike of X-rays released as much energy in 20 seconds as our sun does in nearly 10 days. Turns out it was a massive thermonuclear flash on a pulsar, the crushed remains of a star that exploded as a supernova long ago.

Deborah Byrd

November 13, 2019

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.