Ice, Snow and Lava: Exploring Antarctica’s Mount Erebus

Earth’s southernmost active volcano may also be its most remote. Rosaly Lopes and Michael Carroll recently spent a few frigid days on the slopes of Antarctica’s Mount Erebus. What they learned may help us understand volcanoes on other worlds. Emily Lakdawalla shows us stunning new, close-up images of Saturn’s rings. Bill Nye says a LightSail solar sail prototype has gone on display in a London museum. How could black holes help answer a space trivia contest question about Earth and Saturn? Also, an encore presentation of a visit with the late Gene Cernan, last astronaut to walk on the moon.

Related Links:

• Antarctica’s Mount Erebus
• Antarctica Expeditions Focus on Leadership, Landscape and Art
• Wings WorldQuest Flag Carriers
• At Spacefest VI With Apollo Astronaut Gene Cernan and a Host of Proud Space Geeks
• Amazing photos of tiny moons as Cassini orbits among the rings
• LightSail at Science Museum, London
• Michael Carroll
• Rosaly Lopes

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:

What solar system moon is closest in size to Mercury?

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 31st at 8am Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Last week's question:

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

Answer:

The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:

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

Answer:

You could squish about 764 Earths into a hollowed-out Saturn. Ah, but how many Earth mass black holes? Answer is in the show.