Brandon Specktor
Brandon has been a senior writer at Live Science since 2017, and was formerly a staff writer and editor at Reader's Digest magazine. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, CBS.com, the Richard Dawkins Foundation website and other outlets. He holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona, with minors in journalism and media arts. He enjoys writing most about space, geoscience and the mysteries of the universe.
Latest articles by Brandon Specktor
Russia's anti-satellite missile test could have easily obliterated the International Space Station
By Brandon Specktor published
What's the worst that could happen from the Russian missile test that blasted more than 1,500 pieces of space debris into Earth orbit?
'Doughnut UFO' over Switzerland defies explanation
By Brandon Specktor published
A photographer in Zurich, Switzerland, spotted the glowing object while four SpaceX astronauts returned to Earth thousands of miles away.
Ultrahot, ultrafast explosion called 'the Camel' has astronomers puzzled
By Brandon Specktor published
An ultrabright, ultrafast explosion called the Camel lit up the sky for a month in 2020. Astronomers think it might have been the birth of a black hole or neutron star.
Researchers want to 'slice and dice' deadly asteroids with rocket-powered bombs, new paper says
By Brandon Specktor published
Physicists propose a new plan to "slice and dice" incoming asteroids that could save Earth from a deadly calamity.
NASA spacecraft will crash into an asteroid at 15,000 mph. Will it make a dent?
By Brandon Specktor published
NASA's DART mission will crash a spaceship into an asteroid at 15,000 mph. The mission launched in November.
Perseverance rover on Mars spotted from space in striking new satellite image
By Brandon Specktor published
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spied the little Perseverance Rover chugging around Jezero Crater in a striking new image.
After 3.5 million-year hiatus, the largest comet ever discovered is headed our way
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists have analyzed the enormous Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet, and predict it will come within 11 AU of Earth in the next 10 years.
Exceptionally rare planet with three suns may lurk in Orion's nose
By Brandon Specktor published
In the star system GW Ori, three stars orbit one another. New research suggests there's probably a planet in the mix, too.
Auroras expected tonight in New York, Washington and Wisconsin as solar storm barrels toward Earth
By Brandon Specktor published
A moderate solar storm is headed for Earth on Sept. 27, 2021, with auroras predicted to light up the sky much further south than usual.
Scientists finally have an explanation for the most energetic explosions in the universe
By Brandon Specktor published
The brightest explosions in the universe could be the work of ancient, dying stars.
Asteroid three times the size of the Statue of Liberty will zoom past Earth on fall equinox
By Brandon Specktor published
An asteroid measuring about three times the size of the Statue of Liberty will sail harmlessly by Earth on Sept. 22, the 2021 fall equinox.
The world turns sideways in trippy, glowing Earth photo from the International Space Station
By Brandon Specktor published
ISS astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured a trippy new photo of orange 'airglow' streaming past the sideways Earth.
Strange, repeating radio signal near the center of the Milky Way has scientists stumped
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists detected a repeating radio signal near the center of the Milky Way, and it's unlike anything else they've ever studied.
Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is fighting an invisible battle against the inner Earth, new study finds
By Brandon Specktor published
Researchers studied geothermal heat flow below West Antarctica, and found that the infamous Thwaites Glacier is being disproportionately cooked from below.
Two planes report 'bright green UFO' swooping through the clouds over Canada
By Brandon Specktor published
Two aircrafts flying over Canada reported a "bright green UFO" that disappeared into the clouds on July 30.
July 2021 was officially the hottest month ever
By Brandon Specktor published
July 2021 was the single hottest month in history, according to a new NOAA report.
Hubble telescope revived after a grueling month of darkness. Here's what went wrong.
By Brandon Specktor published
After more than a month in safe mode, the Hubble Space Telescope is back online. A wonky power regulator circuit may be to blame.
Rare 'teardrop' star and its invisible partner are doomed to explode in a massive supernova
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers detected a rare teardrop-shaped star that is being ripped apart by an invisible white dwarf, pushing the pair toward an inevitable supernova explosion.
A 'wobble' in the moon's orbit could result in record flooding in the 2030s, new study finds
By Brandon Specktor published
Coastal flooding could quadruple in the US in the 2030s, a new study of the lunar cycle and sea level rise finds.
June 2021 smashed heat records in North America
By Brandon Specktor published
Satellite data finds that June 2021 was the hottest June ever recorded in North America.
Rare 'hypernova' explosion detected on fringes of the Milky Way for the first time
By Brandon Specktor published
Researchers found evidence of an elusive magneto-rotational hypernova explosion for the first time ever.
The edge of the solar system is a blob, 3D map reveals
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists used solar wind to make the first 3D map of the heliosphere, which protects Earth from deadly cosmic radiation.
Earth's core is growing 'lopsided' and scientists don't know why
By Brandon Specktor published
New seismic models show that Earth's inner core may be growing faster in the east than in the west, creating a 'lopsided' pattern at the center of our planet.