Posts by 

Deborah Byrd

Andromeda galaxy via robotic telescope

James Figge of Delmar, New York captured this image on February 23, 2019 - from the comfort of his home - with the Harvard-Smithsonian 6-inch robotic telescope in Arizona.

Astronomers find a nearby river of stars

Researchers used Gaia data to find a stellar stream of at least 4,000 stars that have been moving together in space since they formed, about a billion years ago.

Japan’s Hayabusa2 lands on asteroid Ryugu

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft touched down briefly and successfully on asteroid Ryugu, 200 million miles (300 million km) from Earth. It successfully fired a bullet into the asteroid to puff up dust for sample collection.

Rosetta’s comet sculpted by stress

The Rosetta space mission revealed a comet as 2 icy balls apparently stuck together billions of years ago. Now scientists say the comet's double-lobed structure guided its evolution.

IAU names Chang’e-4 landing site on moon’s far side

The Chinese spacecraft Chang’e-4 made history earlier this year, when it became the first earthly spacecraft to land on the moon's far side. Now astronomers have named its landing site.

Rainbow and anticrepuscular rays over English coast

"A delightful rainbow which particularly caught my eye as it framed the anticrepuscular rays on the horizon," said photographer Alec Jones.

Earth’s atmosphere extends beyond moon

In fact, these researchers said, the moon flies through Earth's outermost atmosphere, called its geocorona.

Firefall at Yosemite National Park

Around this time of year - if the western horizon stays clear - the last few minutes of daylight fall perfectly on Horsetail Falls, making it glow as if on fire. Photographers call it the firefall ...

Plum Tree Blossom Festival in Tokyo

Tokyo's plum trees start blooming when it's still chilly, usually during February. The plum in Japanese culture symbolizes hope and vitality. The blossoms are a sign spring will come!

Stonehenge mystery solved?

A new study suggests that Europe's ancient megaliths, including Stonehenge, might have stemmed from a single hunter-gatherer culture in what's now northwestern France.