Posts by

Deborah Byrd

New tool reveals ‘missing’ merging galaxies

Astronomers see many breathtaking merging galaxies, with their giant tidal streams of stars and unusual shapes. But some normal-looking galaxies might be merging, too. Now astronomers have a new tool to find out.

Deborah Byrd

January 10, 2019

Farthest, average, nearest sun

Because Earth's orbit isn't precisely circular, the size of the sun in our sky changes slightly throughout the year. This image shows that small variation in sun size.

Deborah Byrd

January 10, 2019

Young moon over Romania

Two-day-old moon - January 8, 2019 - from the frozen hills of Bacau, Romania.

Deborah Byrd

January 9, 2019

A few photos of 2019 Quadrantids

The Quadrantid meteor shower - which peaked on the night of January 3-4, 2019 - has a very narrow peak. Still, the EarthSky community caught some photos.

Deborah Byrd

January 7, 2019

So long, Iridium flares

And hello, Iridium NEXT. The final launch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites is targeted for January 8, 2019, at 7:48 a.m. PST. Meanwhile, the beloved glints of Iridium flares are disappearing from Earth's night skies.

Deborah Byrd

January 7, 2019

Photo: January 6 eclipse over Asia

The January 5-6, 2019, partial solar eclipse was visible from China, Korea, Japan, Russia, the North Pacific Ocean and the Aleutian Islands. Photo here from the EarthSky community.

Deborah Byrd

January 6, 2019

See an animation of this huge solar prominence

When you view this giant feature on the sun, realize that it's several times the size of Earth!

Deborah Byrd

January 5, 2019

China’s Chang’e-4 lands on moon’s far side

China’s Chang’e-4 spacecraft set down last night, according to clocks in the Americas. It's a historic event, the first time a spacecraft has landed on the side of the moon we cannot see.

Deborah Byrd

January 3, 2019

Ultima Thule seen in detail

Ultima Thule - a Kuiper Belt object and the most distant object yet seen by an earthly spacecraft - is now revealed as a "contact binary," created when two small bodies in the early solar system stuck together.

Deborah Byrd

January 2, 2019

New Year’s Day clouds over El Paso

These are called lenticular clouds. They usually - but not always - form where stable moist air flows over a mountain or range of mountains. They can form rapidly and then disappear again just as fast.

Deborah Byrd

January 2, 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.