Andrea Thompson

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Andrea Thompson is an associate editor at Scientific American, where she covers sustainability, energy and the environment. Prior to that, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered Earth science and the environment. She holds a graduate degree in science health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a bachelor of science and and masters of science in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Latest articles by Andrea Thompson

composite shows the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant across the spectrum: Gamma rays (magenta) from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope; X-rays (blue, green) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory; visible light (yellow) from the Hubble Space Telescope; infrared (red) from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope; and radio (orange) from the Very Large Array near Socorro, N.M.

What is a supernova?

By Andrea Thompson last updated 19 June 23

Reference A supernova is what happens when a star has reached the end of its life and explodes in a brilliant burst of light.

Reference

An astronaut on the International Space Station captured this image of a castle-like cloud on July 19, 2016, over the Bahamas' Andros Island.

'Castle Cloud' Caught in Spectacular Astronaut Photo

By Andrea Thompson published 17 January 18

It looks like a ghostly medieval tower — like something out of "Game of Thrones" — looming over the crystal-blue Caribbean waters of the Bahamas.

Solar System

An artist's rendition of the OCO-2 Observatory.

NASA Satellite Reveals Source of El Niño-Fueled Carbon Dioxide Spike

By Andrea Thompson published 12 October 17

NASA's OCO-2 satellite observed carbon dioxide response to one of strongest El Niños on record.

Climate Change

Instruments aboard the Landsat 8 satellite captured these visible and thermal images on Sept. 16, 2017, of the A68 iceberg that snapped off Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf.

Massive Calved Iceberg Comes into View as Antarctic Sun Rises

By Andrea Thompson published 10 October 17

An iceberg could shed light on warming-fueled fate of Antarctica.

Earth

Residential neighborhoods in Houston sit in floodwater in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey.

Did Climate Change Intensify Harvey's Catastrophic Effects?

By Andrea Thompson published 30 August 17

Weather was the main driver, but climate change was likely a factor.

Climate Change

Mars: The Spacecraft Graveyard

By Andrea Thompson published 26 April 16

A look at the spacecraft that met their end on the Red Planet.

Missions

Want to See the Northern Lights? There's an App for That

By Andrea Thompson published 7 February 14

Want to see the beauty of the northern lights, but don't want to sit out in the freezing cold? There's an app for that: A scientist is developing an app with real-time views of Alaska's auroras.

Auroras

Coldest Places on Earth Found, In Antarctica, Of Course

By Andrea Thompson published 10 December 13

Earth

Hurricane Raymond Seen from Space (Satellite Photos)

By Andrea Thompson published 22 October 13

Two satellites snapped pictures of Hurricane Raymond of the Pacific coast of Mexico just a day apart, -- it was only a tropical storm one day, but a major hurricane the next.

Climate Change