The oldest bang since the Big Bang itself this week on planetary radio. Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final frontier.

I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society. Neil Gerels returns to tell

us about the recent announcement of the most distant event humans have ever laid eyes

on. This explosion of a star happened less than a billion years

after our universe was born, putting it more than 13 billion light years away.

We'll talk with Neil about how the Swift spacecraft made this discovery and what it means.

In spite of a cold, Bruce Betts is under the night sky, noting its highlights for today's

What's Up report, which includes a salute to the Apollo 10 mission

that came oh so close to the Moon 40 years ago this week.

Emily Lochuwala continues her maternity leave, so no Q&A.

As we finish this week's show, Mars Rover's spirit is still stuck in the sands of the red planet.

Engineers at JPL are attempting to simulate the situation. of the

engineers at JPL are attempting to simulate the situation in their Mars sandbox.

The news from Space Shuttle Atlantis is considerably better.

Repair of the Hubble Space Telescope is going brilliantly, even though a little improvisation has been

called for now and then.

Where in the world is Bill Nye, the science and planetary guy.

Well, when I got him on the phone a few minutes ago, he was driving

down the side of one of the world's most infamous volcanoes.

Bill, I guess you've got cell phone in hand. Where are you and what have you been up to today?

Well today I, Bill and I, the planetary guy, Vice President Planetary Society, climbed Mount St Helens

and Mount St Helens in Washington State in the United States,

...