Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan Leaves NASA

For well over three years, planetary scientist Ellen Stofan has worked directly with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to help coordinate and expand the myriad science efforts by the agency. We talk with her as she ends this remarkable tenure. Emily Lakdawalla says don’t miss Hidden Figures. Bill Nye checks in from Japan with a tribute to the late Apollo moonwalker Gene Cernan. A year on Jupiter or the lifetime of this show? We’ll learn which is longer in this week’s What Up.

Related Links:

• NASA Office of the Chief Scientist
• Ellen Stofan’s Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) Proposal
• Hidden Figures: Triumphant in the theater, sobering after
• Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA
• The Fourth International Symposium on Solar Sailing
• Remembering Gene Cernan
• Bruce Betts’ CSU Dominguez Hills Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy Class

This week's prizes are a lovely Planetary Radio t-shirt, now available in both men’s and women’s styles. Also, a 200-point iTelescope.net astronomy account, and a Planetary Society rubber asteroid.

This week's question:

Approximately how wide is the combined, complex caldera of Olympus Mons, the Martian volcano?

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, January 24th at 8am Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Last week's question:

Approximately how many squished-up Earths would fit inside Saturn?

Answer:

The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:

Which is longer? Jupiter’s year or Planetary Radio’s existence?

Answer:

At 12+ years and counting, Planetary Radio has existed for longer than a Jovian year, which lasts 11.86 Earth years.