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
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.
Distant star drowns its partner in gas, forming gorgeous 'Necklace Nebula'
By Brandon Specktor published
NASA shared an image of the stunning Necklace Nebula, created by two stars locked in a dance of mutually assured destruction.
First bottle of wine 'aged in space' is for sale at Christie’s
By Brandon Specktor published
A bottle of merlot that spent a year aboard the International Space Station is up for sale at Christie's auction house. It is expected to earn roughly $1 million
Earth's crust is way, way older than we thought
By Brandon Specktor published
Earth's continents have been leaking nutrients into the ocean for at least 3.7 billion years, new research suggests.
Russia wants to build its own space station to replace the ISS, state officials say
By Brandon Specktor published
Russia is building modules for a new space station, which could potentially replace the International Space Station by the year 2025, officials said.
Spooky 'spiders on Mars' finally explained after two decades
By Brandon Specktor published
Enormous "spiders" cover the Martian south pole, and scientists finally have experimental evidence to show how they're created.
Astronomers see a ghostly 'radio jellyfish' rise from the dead in the southern sky
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers discovered a radio structure that looks like a gigantic jellyfish, though it only glows in certain wavelengths.
A 'lump' of dark matter may be ripping apart Taurus' face
By Brandon Specktor published
The Hyades — the closest star cluster to our sun — is being stretched by an invisible 'lump,' researchers say.
The moon has a tail, and Earth wears it like a scarf once a month
By Brandon Specktor published
The tail is invisible to the naked eye but appears on all-sky cameras during every new moon.
First-ever 'space hurricane' detected over the North Pole
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers detected the first-known 'space hurricane' raging over the North Pole for 8 hours in 2014, a new study found.
Mysterious stripes spotted over Russia in satellite images — and NASA is perplexed
By Brandon Specktor published
Scientists can't agree on why these hills in the Russian Arctic ripple with stripes.
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