Alexandra Witze

I'm a science journalist in Boulder, Colorado.

I report on the earth, planetary and astronomical sciences. My book ISLAND ON FIRE, coauthored with my husband Jeff Kanipe, is about the extraordinary 18th-century eruption of the Icelandic volcano Laki. Reach me at witzescience@gmail.com.

Nature • 14th October 2024

Is there life on Jupiter’s moon Europa? NASA launches mission to find hints

The spacecraft — the most ambitious hunt for life beyond Earth since NASA began exploring Mars decades ago — will investigate a vast ocean buried under the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa.

American Indian Magazine • 30th September 2024

Inspiring youth to reach for the stars

Nicole Mann is the first American Indian woman to travel to space.

Nature • 29th May 2024

How NASA astronauts are training to walk on the Moon in 2026

I joined mission control in Houston to see how the space agency is incorporating science into its Artemis III planning.

Nature • 6th March 2024

Geologists reject the Anthropocene as Earth’s new epoch — after 15 years of debate

“This is actually an invitation for us to completely rethink how we define what the world is experiencing," says Zoe Todd, an anthropologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada.

Nature • 6th February 2024

Santorini’s volcanic past: underwater clues reveal giant prehistoric eruption

One of the world’s most-studied volcanoes turns out to be hiding plenty of secrets.

Nature • 12th January 2024

Earth boiled in 2023 — will it happen again in 2024?

2023 is the hottest year on record — shattering previous records and the expectations of many climate scientists.

Nature • 16th October 2023

How would we know whether there is life on Earth? This bold experiment found out

A paper in Nature 30 years ago changed how scientists thought about looking for life on other planets.

Nature • 6th September 2023

An ‘alien meteorite’ probably didn’t slam into Earth — how will we know if one does?

It might soon become possible to study the entire history of the Milky Way through interstellar objects.

Science News • 24th August 2023

How one device could help transform our power grid

Grid-forming inverters may be key to integrating more solar and wind energy.

Nature • 26th May 2023

Saving the iconic Colorado River — scientists say latest plan is not enough

The river, battered by overuse, drought and climate change, has been drying up.

Nature • 8th May 2023

Ethics in outer space: can we make interplanetary exploration just?

The prospect of settling the Moon, Mars and elsewhere requires urgent conversations about issues such as labour and reproductive rights far from Earth.

Nature • 30th January 2023

Will an AI be the first to discover alien life?

SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is deploying machine-learning algorithms that filter out Earthly interference and spot signals humans might miss.

Science News • 27th January 2023

It's possible to reach net-zero carbon emissions. Here's how

The key to a decarbonized future lies in producing vast amounts of new electricity from sources that emit little to no greenhouse gases, and then transforming as much of our lives and our industries as possible to run off those sources.

14th December 2022

Jane Rigby: Sky hunter

This astronomer had a key role in getting the James Webb Space Telescope into space and working properly.

Nature • 12th December 2022

Fifty years after astronauts left the Moon, they are going back. Why?

NASA aims to rekindle the spirit of Apollo a half century after the United States left the lunar surface.

Nature • 16th November 2022

Lift off! Artemis Moon rocket launch kicks off new era of human exploration

The NASA flight tests a rocket and capsule that could return astronauts to the Moon after 50 years.

Nature • 28th September 2022

‘Bit of panic’: Astronomers forced to rethink early Webb telescope findings

Revised instrument calibrations are bedevilling work on the distant Universe.

Science News • 5th August 2022

How Mars rovers have evolved in 25 years of exploring the Red Planet

Few things are harder than hurling a robot into space — and sticking the landing.

Nature • 4th August 2022

Extreme heatwaves: surprising lessons from the record warmth

From London to Shanghai, unprecedented heatwaves have scorched many parts of the world in recent weeks.

Nature • 14th July 2022

Hawaii law could break years-long astronomy impasse

A law signed by Hawaii’s governor removes the University of Hawaii from its role as the main authority overseeing the land on which the telescopes sit, and gives responsibility to a much broader representation of the community, including Native Hawaiians.

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