Posts by

Kelly Kizer Whitt

How the monsoon could impact wildfires in the American West

A monsoon could impact wildfires in the American West. Monsoonal rains can bring relief, but they can also bring gusty winds and lightning.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 15, 2026

Hera mission will arrive at asteroid impact site in November

The Hera mission will reach Didymos and Dimorphos in 2026 to reveal what happened after DART crashed into Dimorphos in the first planetary defense test.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Deborah Byrd

July 14, 2026

Euclid finds the most ancient quasars in the universe so far

The Euclid space telescope has discovered 31 new quasars, including the 2 most distant and most ancient quasars yet known.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 9, 2026

Atlantic hurricane season forecast updated due to El Niño

Colorado State University, one of the 2 organizations that make Atlantic hurricane season forecasts, has now revised its forecast downward for 2026.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 9, 2026

2 asteroid flybys yield new closeup images

Japanese and Chinese space agencies completed 2 asteroid flybys in early July. Read more about the asteroids and see the closeup images here!

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 7, 2026

See 6 major spaceport launch sites … from space!

These 6 major spaceport launch sites helped open the space age. Now, satellites orbiting Earth can look back at the very gateways that sent them there.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 7, 2026

Circinus the Drawing Compass, Alpha Centauri’s neighbor

Circinus the Drawing Compass is a dim constellation located next to the 3rd brightest star in the sky, Alpha Centauri. It looks like a pair of tweezers.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 7, 2026

How a planet survived the death of its sunlike star

Scientists have solved the mystery of how a gas giant planet survived the death of its star. The planet migrated inward after the star's red giant phase.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 5, 2026

Ursa Minor the Lesser Bear contains the Little Dipper

Ursa Minor is the Lesser Bear, but you might recognize it as the Little Dipper. Also, its brightest star is Polaris, the North Star.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 3, 2026

The Milky Way’s arms might not look as we thought

The Milky Way's arms might be farther away than we thought, meaning our galaxy is likely larger than previously believed. Here's how they made the measurements.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

July 3, 2026

Kelly Kizer Whitt

Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube - writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.