Looking for life with Chris McKay this week on planetary radio. Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final frontier.

I'm Matt Kaplan.

He explores Antarctica. he explores Mars, and he'd like to explore Jupiter's

Moon Europa. Chris McKay's quest is to find a second Genesis, another place in the universe where life found a home.

We'll talk with him about that search and why he's now also involved with plans to explore

a place where no one in their right mind expects to find life, the

moon. And later today we'll ask with apologies to the Bard, what's in a name? A spot by

any other spells a treat for listeners as we pick the winner of

our name that new spot on Jupiter contest. Bruce Betts will join us in transit

with his what's up news about the night sky and much more.

News, eye, there's the rub.

As we prepare this week's show, the European Space Agency

is just hours from orbital insertion

of its Venus Express probe.

Our own Emily Lachtowala is in Darmstadt, Germany,

where she'll be covering this event.

Keep an eye on her blog at planetary.org

which happens to be where you can get a glimpse of beautiful pictures

snapped by another new orbiter.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is still in its

shakedown period as it settles into its permanent home over the red planet.

The images it is returning are already some of the best ever taken, and NASA says we ain't

...