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Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. 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. 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.

Don’t miss these sunspot photos

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 hours ago
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More photos of the magnificent solitary sunspot – AR2738 – that’s made its way across the sun’s face over the past couple of weeks. Thanks to all in the EarthSky community who contributed photos!

Why does the moon seem to follow me?

Posted by in Astronomy Essentials | Human World | 1 day ago
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Here’s something you – or your kids – might have noticed: When you’re in a moving car, earthly objects get left behind, but the moon seems to follow. Why?

See it! Photos of Venus and Mercury

Posted by in Today's Image | 1 day ago
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Mercury and Venus came so close in the morning sky this month that they fitted into a single binocular field. But from Earth’s northerly latitudes, Mercury was hard to see! Photos here.

Fogbow over New Mexico

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 days ago
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An early morning fogbow over the desert in northern New Mexico.

Lyrid meteor shower: All you need to know

Posted by and in Astronomy Essentials | 3 days ago
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In 2019, April 23 is the expected peak morning. There will be a bright waning gibbous moon in the sky. Want to make the most of this year’s Lyrid meteor shower? Here’s how.

Check out this peregrine falcon webcam

Posted by in Earth | Human World | 5 days ago
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An EarthSky community member – Jody Kuchar – alerted us to the webcam, which is based in Wisconsin. Thank you, Jody!

Use the moon to locate the Crab on April 13

Posted by in Tonight | 6 days ago
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Cancer the Crab is famous, but faint. You likely won’t see it tonight, in the moon’s glare. But you’ll see bright stars around it, and they can guide you to Cancer when the moon moves away.
A round crescent world and its moon, with a distant sun.

Vote to help name solar system’s largest unnamed body

Posted by in Human World | Space | 1 week ago
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2007 OR10 has one of the reddest surfaces ever found in our solar system’s distant Kuiper Belt. Vote to help decide between 3 possible official names.

Astronomers release 1st real black hole image

Posted by in Space | 1 week ago
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On Wednesday, in coordinated press conferences across the globe, researchers unveiled a history-making image – the 1st ever – of the “shadow” of a supermassive black hole.
A "star party," at night, with red flashlights illuminating a group scattered around telescopes, with a bright streak passing overhead.

Hubble Telescope joins a Messier Marathon

Posted by in Today's Image | 1 week ago
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There are 110 Messier objects. They are some of the sky’s most beautiful nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, from a list originally published by Charles Messier in 1774. During a Messier Marathon, stargazers with telescopes try to find as many in one night as they can.