Exploring Astronomical Wonders with Robert Bruce Thompson this week on planetary radio. Hi everyone,

welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final frontier.

I'm Mad Kaplan. We talk about the night sky every week on

this show. Want to stop talking and get up into that sky? Then I've got a good book for you. I'll talk today with the co-author of the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical

Wonders, which may be the only book you'll ever need to get deep into amateur astronomy.

Bill Nye is back with some calming thoughts about dependence on Russia for access

to the International Space Station.

While Emily Lachto-Wala takes a light approach to Q&A this week as she tells us about the future of

laser communication with spacecraft. Then the baton will go to Bruce Betts who

will anchor our relay race across the sky with what's up and return to giving

away planetary radio t-shirts. Here's a minute's worth of headlines from

across the universe beginning with another detailed update on the travels and travails of the Mars Exploration

Rovers at planetary.org. Opportunity has made it all the way out of Victoria Crater. She took images

that have been assembled into a beautiful mosaic of the

face of the Cape Verde Mesa.

Four years and eight months since arriving on the Red Planet, Spirit continues to gain strength as the sun rises.

Spirit is completing a 360 degree panorama that has been named for the great space artist

Chesley Bonestelle.

Way up north the Phoenix Lander toils away. Emily has

provided a recap of recent adventures in her blog.

Asteropulse. That's the new SETI at home effort that has begun looking for an entirely different type of signal from the stars.

You can read about what it means and how you can help at planetary.org.

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