Latest articles by Brandon Specktor
Best telescopes 2025: Bring the universe closer with the best telescopes for stars, planets, nebulas and more
Buying Guide Here are the best telescopes for a range of different purposes and budgets — beginner to smart telescopes and everything in between. Keep your eyes peeled for deals, too.
Best compact binoculars 2025: Lightweight, travel-friendly models
Buying Guide We've rounded up the best compact binoculars, taking into account their build quality, visuals, and how compact they are.
Best smart telescopes 2025: Observe the cosmos at the press of a button
Buying Guide The best smart telescopes make viewing the universe a breeze. Treat yourself to our top picks from Unistellar, Celestron, Vaonis and more.
Best telescopes for kids 2025: The best child-friendly scopes for young skywatchers.
Buying Guide The best telescopes for kids are easy to use, accessible to beginners and with February's planetary parade nearly here, now's a great time to buy.
Best monocular 2025: Spot the top models on the market
Buying Guide The best monocular devices on the market offer a lightweight alternative to binoculars. Try using one this month to view the full moon.
Best cameras for photos and videos 2025: From beginner to pro models
Buying Guide We've rounded up the best cameras for photos and videos. With the right camera, you can capture February's planetary parade and March's amazing blood moon.
Best eyepieces for telescopes 2025: A crucial telescope accessory to invest in
Buying Guide The best eyepieces for telescopes can transform your skywatching experience, allowing you to get closer to the planets, comets, and stars.
Best telescopes for deep space 2025: View the universe in breathtaking detail
Buying Guide Here are the best telescopes for deep space — gaze far into the night sky and survey the cosmos in impressive detail.
Best night vision binoculars 2025: Our top picks to see in the dark
Buying Guide The best night vision binoculars allow you to spot nocturnal wildlife or enjoy views of the February's full moon.
Best budget binoculars 2025: Affordable, high-quality models
Buying Guide We've rounded up the best budget binoculars, combining affordability with good quality optics and fantastic views.
Best binoculars for kids 2025: Small and lightweight binos for younger users
Buying Guide The best binoculars for kids provide closer views and are designed to be convenient for smaller hands and faces.
Can you see Earth's new 'mini-moon' with the naked eye?
On Sunday, Sept. 29, Earth captured a new "mini-moon" called 2024 PT5. The bus-size asteroid is expected to orbit our planet for 57 days, but is too small to be visible to amateur skywatchers.
Boeing Starliner astronauts will spend at least 240 days stuck in space — is that a new record?
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will spend at least eight consecutive months aboard the International Space Station as their Boeing Starliner spacecraft returns to Earth empty. Is their extended spaceflight record-setting?
Perseid meteor shower rains 'shooting stars' over Stonehenge in glorious astrophotography image
A UK-based astrophotographer captured this stunning composite image of the Perseid meteor shower raining "shooting stars" over Stonehenge.
Researchers want to build 'streetlights' on the moon — and they'd be taller than the Statue of Liberty
A private company has received funding from the U.S. government to build the first-ever "streetlights" on the moon — towering, Statue of Liberty-sized structures that could withstand the brutal lunar night.
Why I watched the solar eclipse with my kids, a goose and 2,000 trees
The total solar eclipse on April 8 plunged Syracuse, New York's Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology into darkness for 90 seconds, creating a wondrous and memorable totality.
James Webb Space Telescope discovers 'Cosmic Vine' of 20 connected galaxies in the early universe
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a massive chain of 20 galaxies in the early universe, raising questions about the formation of the largest structures in the cosmos.
'Planet killer' asteroids are hiding in the sun's glare. Can we stop them in time?
In the glare of the sun, an unknown number of near-Earth asteroids move on unseen orbits. A new generation of space telescopes could be our best defense against potential disaster.
Ultra-powerful plasma 'blades' could slice entire stars in half, new paper suggests
Stars could be sliced in half by "relativistic blades," or ultra-powerful outflows of plasma shaped by extremely strong magnetic fields, an unpublished paper claims.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe smashes record for fastest human-made object
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has reached a record-breaking speed as it gets a gravitational assist from Venus to fall closer to the sun's scorching surface.
Astronomers want you to watch the Oct. 14 'ring of fire' eclipse with a disco ball. No, seriously.
You can't stare at the sun, so how do you watch an eclipse? By reflecting it off of a disco ball, a team of astronomers suggests.
Asteroid hit by NASA's DART spacecraft is behaving unexpectedly, high school class discovers
Asteroid Dimorphos, which NASA intentionally hit with a rocket during its DART mission in September 2022, is behaving in unpredicted ways.
Photographer captures rare 'gigantic jets' of upside-down lightning blasting out of Atlantic hurricane
Gigantic jets, which are 50 times more powerful than typical lightning bolts and can reach the edge of space, were seen erupting out of Hurricane Franklin near Puerto Rico.
