Anthony Wood

Anthony Wood

Skywatching Writer

Anthony Wood joined Space.com in April 2025 after contributing articles to outlets including IGN, New Atlas and Gizmodo. He has a passion for the night sky, science, Hideo Kojima, and human space exploration, and can’t wait for the day when astronauts once again set foot on the moon.

Latest articles by Anthony Wood

The planet Mercury appears as a point of light in the sunset sky. The glow of the setting sun is visible to the left close to the horizon as three leafless trees reach skyward.

Mercury shines farthest from the sun in the evening sky on Oct. 29

By Anthony Wood published

Mercury currently appears as a bright "evening star" in the southwestern sky at sunset.

Stargazing
The moon's disk is shown around its first quarter phase, with its right half lit by direct sunlight, and the left bathed in shadow to match the dark night sky behind.

See a colossal 'X' and 'V' appear on the moon after sunset tonight

By Anthony Wood published

Turn your telescope on the moon at sunset on Oct. 28 to see a colossal "X" and "V" form on the lunar surface as sunlight picks out broken terrain along the terminator.

Stargazing
A comet is pictured with a bright nucleus in the lower right of an image against the blackness of space, with a long tail extending diagonally to the upper right of the shot. A spiral or light is pictured, appearing to wrap around the comet and its tail, created by the trail of a passing meteor.

Glowing meteor trail photobombs Comet Lemmon in incredible telescope footage. 'A pure perspective miracle'

By Anthony Wood published

A meteor photobombed the patch of sky containing Comet Lemmon on Oct. 24, wrapping it in a glowing trail.

Stargazing
a green fuzzy streak in the night sky

See Comet Lemmon cross paths with a cosmic serpent tonight

By Anthony Wood published

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will pass through the neck of the great celestial serpent represented by the constellation Serpens Caput on the nights of Oct. 26-27.

Stargazing
An artist's impression of the James Webb Space Telescope flying through space against a star strewn deep blue sky featuring nebula clouds.

Here's where the James Webb Space Telescope and 4 other legendary spacecraft are in October's night sky

By Anthony Wood published

Here's where 5 of NASA's most famous spacecraft can be found in the October sky.

Stargazing
A deep space nebula scene showing a bubble-like shell of cosmic dust and gas shining red and blue against a black sky peppered with bright stars.

Cosmic 'brain' ponders the cosmos in colorful new photo of the Medulla Nebula

By Anthony Wood published

Light from the ancient supernova remnant was captured over the course of 50 hours in September 2025.

Astrophotography
shooting stars are pictured streaking through a starry night sky above a desert. A well and wooden swing set is visible in the foreground, and a glow can be seen creeping into the horizon from a settlement bordering the far side of a lake.

Orionid meteor shower 2025 lights the night sky over Egypt in stunning photo

By Anthony Wood published

The Orionid meteor shower hit its peak during the dark nights surrounding October's new moon phase.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
Two meteors are pictured streaking Earthward through a black sky peppered with white stars.

When is a 'double fireball' not a 'double fireball'? Wild meteor videos explained by a trick of the light

By Anthony Wood published

Footage appearing to show a number of "double fireball" events may have been caused by a simple quirk of equipment.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
A thin crescent moon is pictured against a darkening blue sky at sunset with a sliver of its right side lit by direct sunlight. Wispy clouds are visible in the foreground.

See a razor-thin crescent moon line up with Mars and Mercury at sunset on Oct. 23

By Anthony Wood published

The waxing moon will appear alongside Mars and Mercury as the sun sets on Oct. 23

Stargazing
A photograph of the Orionid meteor shower.

Don't miss the Orionid meteor shower peak begin overnight tonight under a moonless sky

By Anthony Wood published

Here's what to expect when the Orionid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 21-23 in a dark, moonless sky.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
A swirling deep space nebula is pictured that takes the vague shape of a cartoonish human heart. The centre of the heart nebula is a pale blue/teal, while the outside is formed of dense dusty filaments of yellow and brown. A colorful starfield is visible in the background.

A cosmic heart bursts with light in new deep space astrophotographer portrait (photo)

By Anthony Wood published

The Heart Nebula shines 6,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Astrophotography
A bright comet is pictured to the lower right of a star-studded black sky. A tail extends diagonally upwards and away from the nucleus, past a bright blue star that dominates the left of the image, featuring prominent refraction spikes.

How to see Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) shine in the October sky

By Anthony Wood published

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) will make a close flyby of Earth on Oct. 21.

Stargazing
A bright comet with a long tail is pictured against a starry sky above rolling grassy hills. Shrubs are visible and an outcrop of trees are silhouetted against a pink glow in the sky close to the horizon.

Comet Lemmon's ghostly tail haunts the skies above England (photo)

By Anthony Wood published

Photographer Josh Dury has captured a gorgeous view of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) brightening the skies above the UK as it nears planet Earth.

Stargazing
A picture of the Andromeda spiral galaxy pictured against a star-studded sky.

Why October is the perfect time to look for the Andromeda galaxy

By Anthony Wood published

October is an excellent time to observe the Andromeda spiral galaxy as it passes high overhead in the Autumn night sky.

Stargazing
A green fireball meteorite is pictured exploding in the sky as seen from a wooden porch looking out into a garden.

Watch the moment a brilliant green fireball meteor turns night to day over Tennessee (video)

By Anthony Wood published

A fireball flared to life in the skies over southern America in the early hours of Oct. 14, briefly turning night to day before fragmenting as it neared the surface.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
The bright green light of comet Lemmon shines at the top left corner of a space image with its bright streak of a tail behind it moving diagonally to the lower right of the image

Solar wind tears a chunk from Comet Lemmon's tail in incredible new astrophotography images

By Anthony Wood published

See how the solar wind shredded Comet Lemmon's tail in an extraordinary view from Earth

Stargazing
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is a research and development lab federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech.

NASA lays off 550 employees at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in sweeping 'realignment' of workforce

By Anthony Wood published

NASA has announced a new wave of layoffs at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as the agency undergoes a sweeping "realignment" of its workforce.

Space Exploration

Autumn 2025 Skywatching sights: 8 targets to see in the night sky

By Anthony Wood published

From glowing comets to ancient galaxies, autumn's night sky is filled with celestial treasures.

Stargazing

The Taurid meteor shower 2025 has begun and could spawn dramatic fireballs in the coming weeks

By Anthony Wood published

The Taurid meteor streams have a reputation for generating impressive fireball meteors.

Meteors & Meteor Showers

Meteor hunters rejoice! The Orionid meteor shower 2025 peaks next week with no moon in sight

By Anthony Wood published

The annual Orionid meteor shower comes to a peak on Oct. 20-21

Meteors & Meteor Showers
a starry night sky

See Orion hunt the half-lit moon on Oct. 12

By Anthony Wood published

Don't miss the moon, Jupiter and the stars of the constellation Orion rise along the southern horizon on Oct. 12.

Stargazing

How to find Comet Lemmon in the night sky as it brightens this October

By Anthony Wood published

Here's how to find Comet Lemmon in October's night sky.

Stargazing

The Delta Aurigid meteor shower 2025 peaks tonight in the light of a waning gibbous moon

By Anthony Wood published

The Delta Aurigids 2025 will make for a challenging skywatching event, here's why.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
A deep space scene in which swirling brown clouds of molecular dusk appear to form the hairy outline of a baboon's face, while blue emission nebulas appear like eyes in the middle of the image, and a knot of dense material forms a dark mouth to the lower left. A globular star cluster is visible shining to the upper right of the shot.

Cosmic baboon rampages through deep space in gorgeous new nebula photo

By Anthony Wood published

We're not the only ones who see a baboon in this nebula photo, right?

Astrophotography

The Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight: Here's what to expect

By Anthony Wood last updated

The Draconid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 8, as a waning gibbous moon graces the night sky.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
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