Ailsa is a staff writer for How It Works magazine, where she writes science, technology, space, history and environment features. Based in the U.K., she graduated from the University of Stirling with a BA (Hons) journalism degree. Previously, Ailsa has written for Cardiff Times magazine, Psychology Now and numerous science bookazines.
Latest articles by Ailsa Harvey

By Elizabeth Howell, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference Discover Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky and learn how to spot it, its history, and why astronomers study it.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
Here we debunk some of the most common and enduring space conspiracies.

By Elizabeth Howell, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference Scientists have found more than 5,000 exoplanets since the first such world was confirmed orbiting a sunlike star in 1995. We explore the ones most similar to Earth.

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference The wormhole theory postulates that a theoretical passage through space-time could create shortcuts for long journeys across the universe.

By Vicky Stein, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference You are time-traveling right now, but how does real time travel differ to that of science fiction? Here, we explore some of the theories behind time travel and the science that supports time-bending.

By Charles Q. Choi Last updated
Reference Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and was the first to be discovered with a telescope. We explore this ice giant in more detail here.

By Charles Q. Choi, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference Earth is the only planet known to support life. Learn about what Earth is made of and where it came from.

By Ailsa Harvey, Adam Mann Last updated
Reference Artemis is NASA's plan to send humans back to the moon.

By Mike Wall, Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference We GPS all the time but how does it work and why was it invented? Here we explore this vital space-based technology.

By Elizabeth Howell, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference Albert Einstein profoundly changed physics and ideas about space and time. Learn more about his life, theories and scientific impact.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference How do the biggest telescopes on land measure up in size, construction and discoveries?

By Charles Q. Choi, Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Reference Learn how stars form, how stars and constellations are named, what happens when stars like our sun evolve, and ultimately, die.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
You can now add the deepest infrared image of the universe to your wardrobe.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
A partial solar eclipse coincided with sunset in April 2022. This image tracks the movements of the sun and eclipse stages.

By Ailsa Harvey Last updated
Using a full spectrum of wavelengths, observations of the Messier 66 galaxy shows the distribution of ionized gasses.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
The Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 revealed spectacular details of this spiral galaxy over 42 million light-years away from Earth.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is funding a range of space tech studies in early development. In the future, they could assist space missions.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
As the early universe cooled shortly after the Big Bang, bubbles formed in its hot plasma, triggering gravitational waves that could be detectable even today, a new study suggests.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference Heliocentrism places the sun at the center of the Solar System. This is the history of how scientists discovered our place and in the Solar System.

By Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference The V2 rocket was the world's first liquid-propellant rocket. After claiming thousands of lives, how did it become a revolutionary breakthrough in rocket technology?

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference Cosmology by definition is the branch of astronomy involving the origin and evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang to the future of the cosmos.

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference This list of famous astronomers includes great scientists in history who mastered many fields and modern astronomers who helped popularize astronomy.

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Ailsa Harvey Published
Reference This gas giant is the largest planet in the solar system, but just how big is Jupiter?
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