Joanna Thompson

Joanna Thompson

Space.com Contributor

Joanna Thompson is a science journalist and runner based in New York. She holds a B.S. in Zoology and a B.A. in Creative Writing from North Carolina State University, as well as a Master's in Science Journalism from NYU's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. Find more of her work in Scientific American, The Daily Beast, Atlas Obscura or Audubon Magazine.

Latest articles by Joanna Thompson

Strong geomagnetic aurora borealis (northern lights) north of Fairbanks in Alaska.
Do extraterrestrial auroras occur on other planets?

By Joanna Thompson Published

Auroras don't just exist on Earth. Here's what we know about auroras on other planets in the solar system.

Exoplanets
A UFO hovers over a forest
How would we give aliens directions to Earth?

By Joanna Thompson Published

Giving aliens directions to Earth might be tricky, but scientists have some ideas for how to do it.

Search for Life
Earth's inner core is made primarily of iron.
'New hidden world' discovered in Earth's inner core

By Joanna Thompson Published

The inner core of our planet is actually a mishmash of hard, mushy and liquid metal.

Earth
Elaborate stone patterns created by ice needles.
Thousands of tiny 'ice needles' may explain mysterious stone patterns on Earth … and Mars

By Joanna Thompson Published

Tiny natural ice structures help arrange stones into spectacular landscapes.

Earth
Abstract representation of cold atoms
Scientists just broke the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in a lab

By Joanna Thompson Published

They did it by sending rubidium atoms into free fall

Earth
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