On August 30, 2016 European Commission featured the satellite image above – of extensive damage to the town of Amatrice, Italy – following the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that rocked central Italy on August 24, killing nearly 300 people died and injuring hundreds more. The earthquake took place 60 miles (100 km) north of Rome, with the worst-hit towns being Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto.
The image is part of a group of satellite images from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, produced at request of the Italian authorities and aimed at helping to support a preliminary assessment of the damage.
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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