Planetary scientist, journalist, and podcast host. Comms specialist for @SETIInstitute. She/her. #scicomm ko-fi.com/planetarypan
Joined May 2009
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Planetary Pandemonium is officially live ππ±
In Episode 0, I introduce the showβwhere planetary science meets science fiction (and yes, cats).
If you love space, stories, and the people behind the science, come join me.
π§ Listen: patreon.com/posts/episode-0-β¦
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
For the second year in a row, the SETI Institute joined in @ATLSciFestβs Exploration Expo in Piedmont Park. The expo drew over 20,000 science lovers, many of whom visited our booth.
This yearβs booth theme, βWhat Would You Say to Aliens,β focused on the Arecibo Message, sent in 1974 from the Arecibo Telescope to the globular cluster M13. The message encoded information about life on Earth, visualized as a grid of binary data.
Building on the theme, visitors of all ages used graph paper and colored pencils to create their own messages to aliens. At the same time, SETI Institute booth hosts, @astro_sgro and @planetarypan, explained the contents of the original Arecibo Message and how and where it was sent.
Learn more: seti.org/news/atlanta-sciencβ¦
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Dr. Lauren Sgro (@astro_sgro) is helping people around the world discover exoplanets πβ¨
In Episode 1 of Planetary Pandemonium, we talk citizen science, sci-fi inspiration, andβof courseβher pets Zuul πΆ and Salem π±
π§ Listen now: open.spotify.com/show/6OOfGfβ¦
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All right. It's time. Coming Monday, April 6 - which is also my 51st birthday - I will be releasing the first episode of my new podcast, Planetary Pandemonium. It will be a short interview with myself!
Follow me on Patreon (for free) for the notification. Stay curious! πββ¬πͺ
Hi, y'all! I'm finally ready to announce... my new podcast, Planetary Pandemonium, is coming soon. We'll meet at the intersection of space science and science fiction. There will be cats. Check out my Patreon for more info!
patreon.com/posts/welcome-toβ¦
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I didn't know this... but now I do!
Apparently everyone who likes cats already knows this.
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Hi, y'all! I'm finally ready to announce... my new podcast, Planetary Pandemonium, is coming soon. We'll meet at the intersection of space science and science fiction. There will be cats. Check out my Patreon for more info!
patreon.com/posts/welcome-toβ¦
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Oh, hey, that's me!
People keep asking me about SETI@home, and today, I will have some answers. But #notaliens. Yet. Come watch and bring your questions!
Jan 22
SETI@home ran for 21 years.
Now scientists are revisiting the data.
Join us live with UC Berkeleyβs Eric Korpela to talk about ~100 signals flagged for deeper studyβand how SETI sorts signal from noise.
π΄ SETI Live
π youtube.com/live/eFOm9rD5VWc
#SETI #Astronomy #CitizenScience
ALT SETI Live record button logo. Background: Night sky in shades of purple and pink, fully of stars. Text: SETI @ home update. Inset background: SETI @ home screen saver. Inset photos: Beth Johnson and Eric Korpela.
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
Jan 16
2026 is shaping up to be a notable year for space science. Long-planned missions are entering active phases, new approaches to lunar and deep-space explorations are taking form, and observational capabilities are becoming increasingly interconnected. Together, these developments reflect a shift towards time-sensitive, coordinated science across the solar system and beyond.
In a recent SETI Live conversation, @planetarypan and @allplanets discussed the missions, milestones, and observations that define space science in 2026. Their discussion placed individual missions within a broader scientific framework focused on planetary systems, cosmic environments, and humanityβs place in the universe.
Learn more: seti.org/news/what-to-expectβ¦
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
Jan 10
This week's #SETILive looked at what is coming up in space science and exploration this year. First up is the Artemis II mission, which will take 10 days, 4 astronauts, and a trip around the Moon. Watch the full discussion: youtube.com/live/3AK28FH1b3Y
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
Comet 3I/ATLAS passed through the inner solar system on a one-time trajectory, entering a brief but consequential observational gap. During this interval, the object moved behind the Sun from Earthβs perspective, placing it beyond the reach of ground-based observatories and space telescopes in Earth orbit.
At the same time, @NASAβs Europa Clipper spacecraft occupied a vantage point that allowed it to observe what no Earth-based instrument could. Although designed to investigate Jupiterβs icy moon Europa, Europa Clipper used its ultraviolet spectrograph to collect rare compositional data from the interstellar comet while it remained hidden from view.
In a recent #SETILive discussion, @planetarypan and @PlanetCynthia discussed how an instrument built for a very different target was rapidly repurposed to study one of the rarest objects ever detected in the solar system.
Learn more: seti.org/news/3iatlas-caughtβ¦
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Itβs that time of year, and for the first time in over a decade, I am in person at #AAS247! Excited to be here. Want me to check out your work? Let me know. Iβm looking for stories and podcast guests.
ALT A womanβs hand holds an attendee badge for the AAS 247th winter conference. Text: Beth Johnson, she/her/hers, SETI Institute, Member. A red press ribbon hangs down from the bottom.
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
23 Dec 2025
In a recent SETI Live discussion, communication specialist @planetarypan spoke with astronomer and entrepreneur @allplanets, CEO of @skymapperspace and Senior Planetary Astronomer at the SETI Institute. The conversation introduced SkyMapper, a global network of smart telescopes and all-sky sensors designed to expand access to astronomical observations. The platform connects professional observatories, citizen astronomers, and classrooms into a single decentralized system that supports real scientific discovery.
SkyMapper integrates global imaging systems, AI-driven processing, and Web3 technology. The network monitors satellites, meteors, comets, and transient astronomical events in real time. It also allows users to request observations, upload data, and participate directly in modern astronomy.
Learn more: seti.org/news/skymapper-mappβ¦
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
19 Dec 2025
Next #SETILive: 3I/ATLAS: Caught in UV
TODAY, 19 December, 2:30 pm PST / 5:30 pm EST
Weβre going live with @PlanetCynthia, Europa Clipper Project Staff Scientist and Science Communications Lead, from NASAβs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to explore a surprising and exciting new chapter in comet science. Recently, the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASAβs Europa Clipper spacecraft made unique observations of the interstellar #comet3I/ATLAS at a time when Earth- and Mars-based telescopes couldnβt see it.
In this livestream, communications specialist @planetarypan and Dr. Phillips will unpack what these observations mean for our understanding of interstellar visitors and how instruments designed for one mission can yield discoveries well beyond their original goals.
WATCH LIVE: youtube.com/live/cXqwsc2TI6A
ALT SETI Live record button logo. Text: 3I/ATLAS: Caught in UV with Beth Johnson and Cynthia Phillips. Background: UV image of Comet 3I. Inset: Photos of Beth Johnson and Cynthia Phillips.
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
19 Dec 2025
Astronomy has a long memory.
Six years after it left the telescope, the Gemini Planet Imager @PlanetImager just revealed a new exoplanet β hidden in plain sight in old data. A reminder that archives still hold discoveries waiting for the right tools and questions.
π news.northwestern.edu/storieβ¦
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
5 Dec 2025
The Grand Canyon seen by timelapse from Earth and space! Above, the ISS orbits the lights of the American West and the canyon's dark patch.
Below, a 6 minute exposure reveals our path from Earth's perspective. Made in collaboration with National Geographic's @BabakTafreshi.
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I freaking adore goalie head taps.
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
26 Nov 2025
On our latest #SETILive #podcast, @planetarypan asked Dr. Eric Boyd to explain what it means when he says a microbe breathes in two ways. Listen to the full episode at feeds.libsyn.com/462636/rss
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
25 Nov 2025
Where Water Boils the Sky: Steam Worlds and the Search for Life
In a recent #SETILive episode, host @planetarypan spoke with @ucsc postdoctoral researcher @ArtyomAguichine about his work modeling the interiors and atmospheres of steam worlds, a class of water-rich exoplanets wrapped in thick, high-temperature water vapor. Thanks to new spectra from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these once-theoretical worlds are rapidly becoming an observational reality.
Learn more: seti.org/news/where-water-boβ¦
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Beth Johnson πβοΈππ³οΈβπ retweeted
22 Nov 2025
#ICYMI: This week on #SETILive, Beth chatted with planetary scientists Dr. Georgina Miles and Dr. Carly Howett about the discovery that the subsurface ocean beneath the surface of Saturn's icy moon #Enceladus has been stable... but what does that mean for the possibility of life? It's all about time! Watch the full interview: youtube.com/live/fDf0VQ_S-Bs
#planetaryscience #space #science
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