This week on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion, we welcome Dr. Jonathan Lunine, chair of the astronomy department at Cornell University to the show, telling us all about the volcanoes of Venus! But first, we journey out to the L 98-59 planetary system, exploring a trio of intriguing exoplanets.

Next, we take a trip out to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter, along with the Lucy spacecraft, as it readies for launch. Finally, we ready for the Perseid meteor shower, due to rain down to Earth on the nights of the 12th and 13th of August. New examination of the L 98–59 planetary system reveals hidden details of three exoplanets in that planetary system. One of these is found to have a mass just half that of Venus, while another appears to be a water world. This new study by researchers at the European Southern Observatory also shows evidence for a fourth, and possibly even a fifth world in that stellar system, a mere 35 light years from Earth.

Listen to the podcast version of the episode here, or watch this show as a video at: https://youtu.be/e0kxpujd1Ok.

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Jonathan Lunine and the Volcanoes of Venus - Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion 10 Aug. 2021