Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell

Live Science Contributor
Elizabeth Howell is a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com, along with several other science publications. She is one of a handful of Canadian reporters who specializes in space reporting. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Journalism, Science Concentration at Carleton University (Canada) and an M.Sc. Space Studies (distance) at the University of North Dakota. Elizabeth became a full-time freelancer after earning her M.Sc. in 2012. She reported on three space shuttle launches in person and once spent two weeks in an isolated Utah facility pretending to be a Martian.

Articles by: Elizabeth Howell

NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory spotted the Dec. 4 total solar eclipse from space.

See rare total solar eclipse from nearly 1 million miles away

By Elizabeth Howell published

The only total solar eclipse of 2021 was one few could see and this new photo from a spacecraft nearly 1 million miles from Earth shows why.

An illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on track for Dec. 22 launch

By Elizabeth Howell published

The generational observatory is nearly ready for space after years of delays.

The Beaver Full Moon is seen partially obscured by Earth's shadow during the near-total partial lunar eclipse of Nov. 19, 2021 as seen through a telescope from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.

Watch the entire Beaver Moon lunar eclipse in 1 minute time-lapse

By Elizabeth Howell published

It was the longest partial eclipse in 580 years.

The 2021 Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum area on Oct. 7 and ranks as the 13th-largest such feature since 1979.

See how the huge ozone hole over Antarctica has grown in 2021 in this NASA video

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new NASA video highlights the giant ozone hole that opened over the Antarctic this year.

An illustration of the private Nova-C moon lander built by Intuitive Machines with NASA's Polar Resources Ice-Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) attached to the spacecraft.

NASA picks landing site at the moon's south pole for ice-drilling robot

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA and Intuitive Machines announced the Shackleton Crater landing site for an ice-drilling robot.

Orson Welles rehearsing a radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' classic, The War of the Worlds on October 10, 1938. The broadcast, which claimed that aliens from Mars had invaded New Jersey, terrified thousands of Americans.

Was the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast an early deepfake?

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new podcast argues the 1938 Martian invasion story foreshadowed the problems of media creation today.

A bomb cyclone has merged with a Category 5 "atmospheric river" — giant flowing trains of moist air in the sky — and is dropping lots of precipitation across Northern California.

A 'bomb cyclone' is battering much of California

By Elizabeth Howell published

A "bomb cyclone" in the Pacific is dumping extreme rain and several feet of snow on California.

"Star Trek" star William Shatner, 90, is ready to launch into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket on Oct. 13, 2021.

William Shatner of 'Star Trek' says he's ready to go to space for real

By Elizabeth Howell published

The 'Star Trek' star speaks about the final frontier on Twitter, in a Blue Origin video.

A collage shows Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, the company's suborbital New Shepard launch system and actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in "Star Trek."

William Shatner's space launch on Blue Origin's New Shepard: When to watch and what to know

By Elizabeth Howell published

Here's everything you need to know about Blue Origin's launch of William Shatner and his crew on the New Shepard spacecraft on Oct. 12, 2021.

This 23-second looped animation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, created with data from the Hubble Space Telescope, represents approximately 10 Earth hours (or one Jovian day) of activity.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is not only shrinking. Its winds are also speeding up.

By Elizabeth Howell published

A decade of Jovian storm-chasing paid off for the Hubble Space Telescope.

A Hubble Space Telescope image shows one of the most complete Einstein ring scientists have studied to date.

Scientists pinpoint age of molten 'Einstein ring'

By Elizabeth Howell published

New science from a stunning 2020 Hubble image illuminates the back story behind a shining loop of light.

Crowds converge near Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in this satellite image taken on Aug. 24, 2021.

Satellite images show crowds at Kabul airport before two reported explosions

By Elizabeth Howell published

Massive crowds converged at Hamid Karzai International Airport before explosions there killed and injured dozens on Thursday (Aug. 26).

SpaceX's Starship could launch on its first uncrewed flight to Mars in 2024.

SpaceX Starship: Key milestones for the world's most powerful rocket

By Elizabeth Howell published

SpaceX's Starship system is the most powerful rocket yet. Here are some of the key moments in its history as the rocket and spacecraft get ready for the first orbital test.

Crowds converge at Kabul's international airport Monday (Aug. 16) after the Taliban took over the Afghan city.

Crowds of desperate people at Afghanistan airport visible in satellite photos

By Elizabeth Howell published

SpaceX's Starship prototype in black-and-white.

The story behind black-and-white photo of SpaceX's Starship

By Elizabeth Howell published

Here's the historical significance of the black-and-white photo that Elon Musk tweeted showing SpaceX's next Starship prototype.

An artist’s illustration of the red supergiant Betelgeuse. Its surface in this view is covered by large starspots, which reduce its brightness. During their pulsations, such stars regularly release gas into their surroundings, which condenses into dust.

Mysterious dimming of bright star Betelgeuse possibly explained

By Elizabeth Howell published

The mysterious strange dimming seen last year in the huge star Betelgeuse may be from giant sunspots and temperature fluctuations.

Russia's Progress 77 resupply ship with the Pirs docking compartment attached are pictured during their descent into Earth's atmosphere on July 26, 2021, when they were 270 miles (430 kilometers) above the southern Pacific Ocean.

Astronaut captures sparkling 'shooting star' video as Russian space station module falls to Earth

By Elizabeth Howell published

From his perch on the International Space Station, a French astronaut watched a long-running Russian space module break into pieces in a shower of fireworks.

A view of the crew capsule of the New Shepard, where passengers will wear simple flight suits rather than pressurized spacesuits.

Here's how Blue Origin trained Jeff Bezos and his crew for an 11-minute launch into space

By Elizabeth Howell published

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three crewmates received 14 hours of training over the last two days for their launch into space on July 20.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson soars like Superman while in weightlessness during his Unity 22 launch on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity on July 11, 2021.

Amazing Virgin Galactic video shows Richard Branson's Unity 22 crew soaring into space

By Elizabeth Howell published

New camera views from the cockpit and carrier launch plane follow Richard Branson on his debut flight on a Virgin Galactic spaceship.

Virgin Galactic's suborbital vehicle made its second flight to space on Feb. 22, 2019.

Virgin Galactic will launch billionaire Richard Branson into space today. Here's how to watch it live.

By Elizabeth Howell published

Virgin Galactic will broadcast the flight of its founder, Richard Branson, as he soars into space on Sunday (July 11).

This artist's illustration shows the distant Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it might look in the outer Solar System. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is estimated to be about 1000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it arguably the largest comet discovered in modern times. It has an extremely elongated orbit, journeying inward from the distant Oort Cloud over millions of years. It is the most distant comet to be discovered on its incoming path.

Newly found mega comet may be the largest seen in recorded history

By Elizabeth Howell published

A giant comet found far out in the solar system may be 1,000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it potentially the largest ever found in modern times.

Tardigrades are nearly indestructible creatures that have been found in the most inhospitable places on Earth.

These tiny indestructible tardigrades will reveal how to survive in extremes of space

By Elizabeth Howell published

Indestructible tardigrades will be subject to a series of experiments at the International Space Station to reveal how they survive in extreme environments.

LEGO Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance A Wing Starfighter 75248 Advanced Collectible Starship Model

Lego's A-wing Starfighter from 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' is 37% off for Prime Day

By Elizabeth Howell published

The iconic Lego Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance A Wing Starfighter is 37% off for Prime Day.

The International Space Station.

Russia threatens to leave International Space Station program over US sanctions: reports

By Elizabeth Howell published

Russia's space chief is threatening to leave the International Space Station program in 2025 unless the United States lifts sanctions against the Russian space sector.

These images from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency show the location of a space debris strike on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robot arm spotted on May 12, 2021 and released on May 28.

International space station hit by orbital debris in 'lucky strike' (video)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A piece of space junk smacked into the robotic arm on the International Space Station, but near-term operations should not be affected.

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: