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
Devastating solar storms could be far more common than we thought
By Brandon Specktor published
Solar super-storms capable of damaging electric grids and satellite networks may be much more common than previously thought, a study of Earth's oldest geomagnetic index suggests.
Two invisible stars are bending space-time deep in the Milky Way
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers uncovered a pair of invisible stars creating ripples in space-time, a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
A TV satellite is about to explode following 'irreversible' battery damage
By Brandon Specktor published
A Boeing satellite is being hastily moved into "graveyard orbit" following a devastating "anomaly" that turned its batteries into bombs.
Self-destructing dark matter may be flooding the sky with gamma-rays, study suggests
By Brandon Specktor published
There's a faint gamma-ray background in the universe, and scientists now think it could be caused by dark matter.
Top-secret UFO files could 'gravely damage' US national security if released, Navy says
By Brandon Specktor published
The US Navy confirmed they have secret, classified documents regarding a 2004 UFO encounter, but releasing them could 'gravely damage' national security.
Galaxy group 13 billion light-years away could be ending the cosmic 'Dark Ages' before our eyes
By Brandon Specktor published
Three galaxies 13 billion light-years may be ending the cosmic 'dark ages' before our eyes.
Mysterious 'Wave' of Star-Forming Gas May Be the Largest Structure in the Galaxy
By Brandon Specktor published
A newly discovered suburb of baby-booming stars, known as the Radcliffe Wave, may be the largest structure in the Milky Way.
Thousands of Government UFO Reports Now Available at Canadian University
By Brandon Specktor published
A private UFO enthusiast has donated his collection of 30,000 documents to the University of Manitoba in Canada. The truth is in there.
Europe Is Launching a Suicide Robot to 'Hug' Space Trash Out of Orbit
By Brandon Specktor published
The ESA has announced a mission to launch a four-armed robot to grab a single piece of space junk and drag it into the atmosphere.
When Did the 'Dark Ages of the Universe' End? This Rare Molecule Holds the Answer.
By Brandon Specktor published
Long ago, millions of years before the first star sparked to life, the entire universe was a sea of darkness.
Hoag's Object Is a Galaxy Within a Galaxy Within a Galaxy (and Nobody Knows Why)
By Brandon Specktor published
Hoag's object, which is a galaxy within a galaxy within a galaxy, has befuddled stargazers since astronomer Arthur Hoag discovered it in 1950.
Your RNA May Have Come from Space, Meteor Study Suggests
By Brandon Specktor published
The discovery of ribose sugar in ancient meteorites just made space rocks a little sweeter.
This 'Blob' of Radiation Might Be a Long-Lost Neutron Star
By Brandon Specktor published
In 1987, a star exploded, creating the brightest supernova to light up Earth's skies in 400 years. That star's corpse has been missing for 30 years. Now, researchers think they've found it.
The Curiosity Rover Just Took a Very Emo Photo of Its Rocky Martian Prison
By Brandon Specktor published
Curiosity is the last functioning rover on Mars, and its lonely mission has taken the robot to a steep mountain in the middle of a vast crater.
Scientists Want to Make a 3D Map of the Entire World Before Climate Change Ruins It
By Brandon Specktor published
A nonprofit called The Earth Archive wants to make a 3D map of the entire planet, before the climate crisis changes Earth's face forever.
Early Earthlings May Have Watched the Galaxy's Center Explode 3.5 Million Years Ago
By Brandon Specktor published
The mysterious Fermi bubbles at the center of the Milky Way may have been caused by a gargantuan nuclear explosion 3.5 million years ago, new research suggests.
The Andromeda Galaxy Has Been Devouring Other Galaxies Since It Was a Baby (And Earth Is Next)
By Brandon Specktor published
The cannibal next door has an even mightier appetite than we thought.
Nobody Knows What Made the Gargantuan Crater on the Dark Side of the Moon
By Brandon Specktor published
The moon's South Pole-Aitken basin is one of the largest craters in the solar system, and a new study debunks the most popular explanation for its formation.
UFOs Are Real — and You Were Never Supposed to See Them, Military Official Says
By Brandon Specktor published
Remember those viral UFO videos you saw last year? The government would like you to forget them, please.
This Ridiculously Speedy Star Might Be Running Away from a Rare, Unproven Type of Black Hole
By Brandon Specktor published
I'd be running, too.
Gargantuan 'Bubbles' of Radio Energy Spotted at the Center of Our Galaxy. How'd They Get There?
By Brandon Specktor published
Two huge bubbles of radio energy swirling out of the Milky Way's middle could be evidence of an ancient cosmic explosion — or maybe the start of a new one.
The 'Fireworks Galaxy' Is Exploding in X-Ray Light, and Scientists Are Confused
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists spotted a mysterious blast of intense X-ray light flashing out of the distant Fireworks galaxy, and it's no mere supernova.
America's Largest Asteroid Impact Left a Trail of Destruction Across the Eastern United States
By Brandon Specktor published
America's largest impact crater wreaked havoc on the land and water. Scientists are just beginning to understand it.