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
The Largest Black Holes in the Universe Formed in a Snap — Then Stopped
By Brandon Specktor published
The biggest, oldest black holes in the universe shouldn't technically exist. A new study provides fresh evidence for the weird, "direct collapse" process that may have made them.
Gorgeous 'Atlas of Space' Smashes the Textbook View of the Solar System
By Brandon Specktor published
Biologist Eleanor Lutz's new map of the solar system shows the precise orbital paths of more than 18,000 near celestial objects.
30 'Homeless' Binary Stars Spotted Drifting in the Void Outside Any Known Galaxy
By Brandon Specktor published
The universe may be full of binary stars that have been exiled from their home galaxies, thanks to one star's rowdy behavior.
Two White Dwarf Stars Collided and Came Back from the Dead. Soon, They’ll Go Supernova.
By Brandon Specktor published
These two dead stars united and came back to life. And soon, they’ll go supernova.
Earth's Oldest Meteorite Collection Just Found in the Driest Place on the Planet
By Brandon Specktor published
Researchers scouring the desert for space rocks found the oldest collection of meteorites on Earth.
First-Ever Image of a Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Burst Shows Light Exploding Out of a Thundercloud in Asia
By Brandon Specktor published
Researchers just created the world's first image of a terrestrial gamma-ray burst.
Space Mining Could Ruin Our Solar System If We Don't Establish Protected Places Now, Researchers Warn
By Brandon Specktor published
If humans mine one-eighth of the solar system's extraterrestrial resources, we could be doomed.
New York City Has Been Obliterated in a New Asteroid-Impact Simulation
By Brandon Specktor published
New York City, home to 8.6 million people and one hot duck, has perished in an apocalyptic meteor strike … in a simulation.
Soar Through the Heart of a Supernova in This Gorgeous New Simulation
By Brandon Specktor published
Take a 360-degree tour of a supernova, thanks to this epic new Smithsonian graphic.
There's Basically 'No Chance' for Earth-Like Planets to Form an Atmosphere Around Hot Young Stars
By Brandon Specktor published
The odds of an atmosphere forming around an Earth-like exoplanet are even slimmer than previously thought, a new study suggests.
Turbulent Blobs in Earth's Core May Explain Sudden Jerks in the Magnetic Field
By Brandon Specktor published
Here’s one explanation for why Earth’s magnetic field undergoes weird geomagnetic jerks every decade or so.
The Sun Is Spitting Out 'Lava Lamp Blobs' 500 Times the Size of Earth
By Brandon Specktor published
The blobs are real, they’re chock full of charged particles and they’re heading our way several times each day.
Here's What the Speed of Light Looks Like in Slow Motion
By Brandon Specktor published
What does the speed of light look like? CalTech researchers built the world's fastest camera to find out.
Astronomers Find Fossils of Early Universe Stuffed in Milky Way's Bulge
By Brandon Specktor published
Some of the oldest stars in the universe are hiding out in the Milky Way’s muffin top.
These Two Cosmic 'Chimneys' Could Be Fueling the Galaxy-Sized Bubbles Looming Over the Milky Way
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists made an X-ray map of the center of the galaxy — and they found two chimneys of plasma.
The Great Exoplanet Bake-Off: Why NASA Made an Oven-Fresh Alien Atmosphere in Its Lab
By Brandon Specktor published
NASA scientists cooked up an alien atmosphere in their lab to solve the puzzle of "hot Jupiters."
Sneaky Meteor Evades Earthling Detection, Explodes with Force of 10 Atomic Bombs
By Brandon Specktor published
On Dec. 18, 2018, a school bus-size meteor exploded over Earth with an impact energy of roughly 10 atomic bombs. But no one saw it.
NASA Weighed the Wind Billowing Out of the Cigar Galaxy, and It's Unbelievably Massive
By Brandon Specktor published
There's a mighty wind a-blowin' out of the Cigar Galaxy, and it could teach astronomers how the first stars formed.
Meet 'The Blobs': Two Continent-Size Mountains in Earth's Deep Mantle That Nobody Understands
By Brandon Specktor published
There's a continent-size mystery lurking near the heart of the Earth.
A Pair of Gargantuan Space Bubbles Might Be Spitting Cosmic Rays at Earth
By Brandon Specktor published
Everybody loves blowing bubbles — even galaxies!
Maybe Dying Stars Fart So Much Because They're in a Relationship
By Brandon Specktor published
These stars aren't really that gassy, they just look like they are.
A 'Dragon Aurora' Appeared in the Sky Over Iceland, and NASA Is a Little Confused
By Brandon Specktor published
A gargantuan green dragon hisses in the sky over Iceland this month and its appearance has scientists stumped.
A Solar Flare '10 Billion Times More Powerful' Than Earth's Sun Blasted Out of Orion's Sword
By Brandon Specktor published
This crazy solar flare is more powerful than any ever blasted by Earth’s sun.