Latest articles by Brandon Specktor
Turbulent Blobs in Earth's Core May Explain Sudden Jerks in the Magnetic Field
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Everybody loves blowing bubbles — even galaxies!
Maybe Dying Stars Fart So Much Because They're in a Relationship
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
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
This crazy solar flare is more powerful than any ever blasted by Earth’s sun.
Buy the Meteorite That Nearly Destroyed Siberia in This Fun Valentine's Day Auction
For sale: Meteor that nearly destroyed Siberia. Lightly used.
Wine on Mars? The World's Oldest Wine-Making Country Wants to Make It Happen
Fancy some white wine on the Red Planet? Scientists in the Republic of Georgia are determined to grow grapes on Mars.
Scientists Are Legit Building a Steam-Powered Spaceship, And It Sounds Awesome
Half a century after the first manned space flight, space travel may be about to enter the age of steam.
This 'Fossil' Cloud of Pure Hydrogen Gas Could Be a Time Capsule of the Big Bang
The emptiest space in the universe is full of gas.
Exploding Stars Helped Kill Earth's Ancient Sea Monsters, New Study Suggests
Did an exploding star kill the Earth's biggest sharks?
The Sun's Turbulent North Pole Looks Like a Spooky Vortex in This Composite Image
Santa would not do well here.
There's Drug-Resistant Bacteria in the Space Toilets, Guys
Always wash your hands after using the space toilet. Always.
Space Pirates Take Warning: This 'Skull and Crossbones Nebula' Is Full of Gas and Baby Stars
The constellation NGC 2467 looks like a skull and crossbones.
Einstein and the Incredible Hulk Now Have Their Own Constellations (But You'll Never See Them)
NASA added 21 new "constellations" to the sky, thanks to invisible gamma-ray light.
Astronomers Just Caught the Tiniest Cannibal Galaxy in the Universe
This cannibal galaxy is tiny, and it's right in our cosmic neighborhood.
