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James Webb Space Telescope zooms in on other worlds & Planetary Radio's Mat Kaplan reflects on 20 years of hosting

The James Webb Space Telescope shares an early look at the atmospheric makeup of an exoplanet, a planet outside our own solar system. Photo: NASA
The James Webb Space Telescope shares an early look at the atmospheric makeup of an exoplanet, a planet outside our own solar system. Photo: NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope is giving us stunning views of far-away galaxies, dying stars, and cosmic nurseries. The telescope also has the ability to peer at far-away planets and see what their atmospheres are made of, getting us one step closer to answering one of astronomy’s biggest questions: Are we alone?

We'll speak with Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, about how JWST is helping us take a closer look at planets outside our own solar system.

Then, for two decades, Mat Kaplan hosted Planetary Radio from the Planetary Society. "I have been saying for years and years, my two favorite things outside of family are space and radio," said Kaplan.

This year, he’s retiring. We check in with Mat before he hangs up his headphones.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."