… I had a chance to experience something magical. I am very lucky to live on the Jersey shore, with unobstructed views of the horizon. As I awaited both the moonrise and Jupiter, I knew that the rising moon would also have similar characteristics to a rising sun. As the moon lifted up, pulling away from the horizon, an omega shape was created. This lower portion of the moon is actually an inverted mirage of what is directly above it.
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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