Latest articles by Brandon Specktor
'Miracle' photo captures Comet Lemmon and meteor seemingly entwined over Earth
An astronomer in Italy caught a fortuitous image of the bright comet Lemmon seemingly entwined with the glowing trail of a "shooting star."
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is about to get very active — Space photo of the week
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is barreling toward its closest point to the sun as perihelion looms on Oct. 29. How different will it look when it reappears on the other side?
New images of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS show giant 'jet' shooting toward the sun
New telescope images show that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is shooting a giant jet of gas and dust toward the sun. This is normal behavior for comets, an expert told Live Science.
When is the next full moon?
When does the next full moon rise? Find out exactly when to see the full moons of 2025, including the full 'Beaver Moon' supermoon on November 5.
'Closest view' yet of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS captured by Mars orbiter
The European Space Agency's ExoMars orbiter has captured the closest view yet of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. The images reveal the comet's bright coma but show no signs of a tail.
Sneaky asteroid zooms past Antarctica closer than a satellite — and astronomers didn't catch it until hours after
A small, giraffe-size asteroid called 2025 TF came closer to Earth than some satellites on Wednesday (Oct. 1), stunning astronomers who first spotted it hours later.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may come from the mysterious frontier of the early Milky Way, new study hints
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS does not come from our corner of the Milky Way, and may be a time capsule of the early galaxy, new research into its trajectory hints.
Artemis Program: NASA's plan to send humans back to the moon
Basic information about the Artemis program's Space Launch System and Orion capsule.
'Shocking': Black hole found growing at 2.4 times the theoretical limit
Scientists spotted an enormous black hole in the early universe that's growing at 2.4 times the theoretical Eddington limit. Studying it further could help answer one of the biggest questions in astrophysics.
Will the James Webb telescope finally lead us to alien life?
Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next?
How to stream Sunday's 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse
The final 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse of 2025 is coming this Sunday (Sept. 7-8). Here's where the celestial spectacle will be visible — and how to watch it if you're not in the path.
'Butterfly Nebula' spreads its wings in dazzling new James Webb telescope image
In a dazzling new photo, the James Webb Space Telescope zooms in on the Butterfly Nebula — the dying gasps of one of the hottest stars in the sky, which could hold clues to Earth's origins.
James Webb telescope pinpoints brightest FRB ever detected
Astronomers using the James Webb telescope alongside Canada's CHIME telescope have pinpointed the origin of one of the brightest blasts of radio energy ever detected in Earth's skies.
Autumn equinox 2025: When does fall begin?
REFERENCE Equinoxes occur twice a year, with night and day being almost the exact same length all across the world. The next equinox is the September fall equinox, beginning on Sept. 22, 2025 in North America.
Scientists scan famous 'Earthrise' crater on mission to find alien life in our solar system
A large lunar crater featured in the iconic 'Earthrise' photo has just helped the European JUICE spacecraft hone its alien-hunting instruments during a once-in-a-lifetime flyby.
'Ice cube' clouds discovered at the galaxy's center shouldn't exist — and they hint at a recent black hole explosion
Twin orbs of superhot plasma at the Milky Way's center known as the "Fermi bubbles" contain inexplicable clouds of cold hydrogen, new research reveals. They could help scientists figure out when our galaxy's black hole last erupted.
Vera C. Rubin Observatory: The groundbreaking mission to make a 10-year, time-lapse movie of the universe
Armed with the world's largest digital camera, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will take night-sky images that revolutionize astronomy.
6 incredible objects hidden in Vera C. Rubin Observatory's mind-boggling first image
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's first image release includes a 'staggering' view of 10 million galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster. Here are six stunning sights hidden throughout the mind-boggling image.
James Webb telescope ups the odds that 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit the moon in 2032
The James Webb Space Telescope has taken another look at the potential "city-killer" asteroid 2024 YR4 and found its chances of hitting the moon in December 2032 have increased to 4.3%.
Bottom of the sun becomes visible to humans for the first time in history (photos)
For the first time, scientists have imaged the elusive south pole of the sun. The images captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft reveal our star's magnetic field is a powder keg ready to blow.
28 gorgeous nebula photos that capture the beauty of the universe
Nebulas — colorful clouds of expanding gas and dust — have long captivated stargazers with their beauty. Here are 28 of the most stunning nebulas in the universe.
Japanese spacecraft goes dark during attempted moon landing, holding fate of European rover in question
The private Japanese spacecraft "Resilience" has seemingly been destroyed in a "hard landing" on the moon on Thursday. The lander was carrying what would have been the first European-built rover to explore the moon.
Doomed Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 could hit Earth tonight. Here's when.
The failed Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 could crash to Earth overnight tonight after more than 50 years in the wrong orbit. Here are the latest predictions on the exact time of reentry, and where it could land.
