Imaging Hot Young Jupiters

Franck Marchis is on the team that has delivered an actual image of a young, hot world about 100 light years from Earth. We talk with him on the 20^th anniversary of the first exoplanet discovery. Emily Lakdawalla reveals spectacular Charon, while Bill Nye and Mat Kaplan compare notes on “The Martian.” What’s a syzygy? Find out from Bruce Betts on What’s Up.

Related Links:

• New Instrument Images Young Cousin of Jupiter
• Gemini Planet Imager
• New Horizons Releases New Color Pictures of Charon
• Xtronaut Game Kickstarter Campaign
• Zzyzx, California

This week's prizes are a lovely Planetary Radio t-shirt and a Planetary Society rubber asteroid of your very own!

This week's question:

As of 1980, how many planets had been orbited? And how many have been orbited by 2015?

To submit your answer:

Complete the contest entry form at http://planetary.org/radiocontest or write to us at [email protected] no later than Tuesday, October 13th at 8am Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Last week's question:

Who was the only woman to perform a solo space flight?

Answer:

The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:

What word generally refers to three celestial bodies in a line? (Bruce thinks it’s a funny word.)

Answer:

Syzygy is a word for three celestial objects in a straight line.