KQEDScience published this before-and-after photo this week of the ongoing wildflower superbloom in California, as seen from space. Hundreds of wildflower species bloom in California between March and July, but in 2017, thanks to above-average winter rainfall following five years of drought, the wildflowers are going bonkers. The image comes from Planet Labs — a start-up founded by three ex-NASA engineers — which used high-resolution satellite imagery to capture the space view of wildflowers in Carrizo Plain National Monument, Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge and just north of Los Padres National Forest.
Deborah Byrd 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. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. 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.
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