menu
close
subscribe donate

Deanna Conners

Deanna Conners

Deanna Conners is an Environmental Scientist who holds a Ph.D. in Toxicology and an M.S. in Environmental Studies. Her interest in toxicology stems from having grown up near the Love Canal Superfund Site in New York. Her current work is to provide high-quality scientific information to the public and decision-makers and to help build cross-disciplinary partnerships that help solve environmental problems. She writes about Earth science and nature conservation for EarthSky.

Dark Sky Sanctuary established in New England

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 3 weeks ago
Posted by

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine was certified as a Dark Sky Sanctuary on May 8, 2020.
Colorful bursts in night sky with text annotations.

How do fireworks get their colors?

Posted by and in Human World | 1 month ago
Posted by and

Many, perhaps most, fireworks displays have been canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Still, it’s fun to contemplate the fact that the beautiful colors in fireworks – so good at stirring our emotions – are created by chemistry.
Photo of stars above the Sahara

Will large parts of Earth be too hot for people in 50 years?

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 2 months ago
Posted by

Inhospitably hot regions on Earth occupy about 0.8% of the globe now. New research indicates that – if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated – these regions may expand to something more like 19% by 2070.
A hurricane off the U.S. Eastern seaboard.

How do hurricanes get their names?

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 2 months ago
Posted by

The World Meteorological Organization manages the formal system by which hurricanes receive their names. Find hurricane names for 2020 here.

How to spot ISS in your sky

Posted by in Human World | Space | 2 months ago
Posted by

Learn to watch ISS moving silently and steadily across your night sky, and think of the 2 astronauts currently making their way there.

Photograph of a Lohmann Brown hen by Konstantin Nikiforov

What are zoonotic diseases and what can we do about them?

Posted by in Human World | 3 months ago
Posted by

Infectious diseases that leap from animals to humans are called zoonotic diseases. Covid-19 is an example of a zoonotic disease caused by a coronavirus.
Photo of a solar power plant.

Producing solar power at night

Posted by in Human World | 5 months ago
Posted by

Scientists have developed a new prototype of nighttime solar cells that can produce electricity at night through a radiative cooling mechanism.
Sunrise (or sunset) along the rim of Earth.

Why do we need leap years?

Posted by in Human World | 6 months ago
Posted by

If there were no leap years, eventually February would be a summer month for the Northern Hemisphere. Read more.

Photo of a white-breasted nuthatch

Great Backyard Bird Count begins February 14

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 6 months ago
Posted by

Show your love for birds by joining the 2020 Great Backyard Bird Count. It is free and easy to participate in this 4-day global event. Find out how here.

Bering Sea Elders discuss recent changes in the Arctic

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 7 months ago
Posted by

For the first time, NOAA’s 2019 Arctic Report Card includes an indigenous perspective of the changes taking place in Arctic ecosystems.