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JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator

JoAnna Wendel

JoAnna Wendel is a freelance science writer and cartoonist. She covers topics ranging from the geology of faraway moons to the behavior of animals in our oceans. She served as a staff writer for Eos from 2014 to 2018, then worked in communications in NASA’s Planetary Sciences Division. JoAnna is now freelancing full time as a writer and artist.

Artist’s rendition of an exoplanet and its star.
Posted inNews

Closest Ever Terrestrial Exoplanet Found, Habitability Debated

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 24 August 201625 April 2023

Researchers are excited about a new, potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri.

Two shiny, metallic micrometeorites.
Posted inNews

Urban Micrometeorites No Longer a Myth

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 24 August 20164 October 2021

After sifting through urban debris for 6 years, one scientist unearthed cosmic dust—confirming a long-held myth about urban micrometeorites.

Elephant seals, one with a scientific instrument glued to its head.
Posted inNews

Elephant Seals' Dives Show Slowdown in Ocean Circulation

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 23 August 20168 June 2022

Data from instruments mounted on elephant seals reveal that melting ice flushes fresh water into the Southern Ocean, suppressing an important arm of the global ocean circulation belt.

Posted inNews

NASA's New Asteroid Sampler Will Illuminate Solar System's History

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 19 August 201615 February 2022

In 7 years, scientists hope to directly analyze materials from the asteroid Bennu, an object that may reveal what conditions were like in the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.

Residents in Louisiana survey a flooded road.
Posted inNews

New Flood Model Offers National Streamflow Coverage

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 19 August 201610 March 2023

The model, released by the National Weather Service, will provide neighborhood-level flood forecasting.

An image of Pluto captured by NASA’s New Horizons probe.
Posted inNews

Six Things Dwarf Planets Have Taught Us About the Solar System

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 17 August 201611 September 2025

It's been 10 years since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. But no matter the label, it and its dwarf planet cousins continue to stun researchers with their complexity.

Neoskeptics believe that humans cause climate change but that mitigation efforts aren’t worth it.
Posted inNews

Climate Scientists' New Hurdle: Overcoming Climate Change Apathy

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 11 August 20169 December 2022

It's not just about deniers anymore. Scientists now have to convince a new group: those who believe humans have altered the climate but don't think anything can or should change.

This photo shows Jishi Gorge upstream from the landslide dam. Gray silt deposits reveal an ancient, massive lake held by the dam.
Posted inNews

Evidence Found for China's Ancient Origin Story

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 4 August 201624 February 2023

New geological findings suggest that an ancient flood in a popular legend about the birth of China's civilization might have actually occurred, but some 150 years later than historians thought.

A sign in Cochise County, Arizona, warning residents of possible Earth fissures.
Posted inNews

Earth Fissures May No Longer Get Mapped in Arizona

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 18 July 201624 February 2022

A program that monitors giant cracks in the ground that suddenly appear after heavy rain could become a casualty of budget cuts to the Arizona Geological Survey.

An artist’s representation of a newly discovered triple-star system.
Posted inNews

Exoplanet Found in Curious Triple-Star System

JoAnna Wendel, freelance science writer and illustrator by JoAnna Wendel 7 July 201625 April 2023

The newly discovered planet balances precariously in orbit within the star system, puzzling scientists.

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A view of a bridge, with the New Orleans skyline visible in the distance between the bridge and the water. A purple tint, a teal curved line representing a river, and the text “#AGU25 coverage from Eos” overlie the photo.

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