  Very hot Jupiters (VHJs) are defined as Jupiter-mass extrasolar planets with
orbital periods shorter than three days. For low albedos the effective
temperatures of irradiated VHJs can reach 2500-3000 K. Thermal emission from
VHJs is therefore potentially strong at optical wavelengths. We explore the
prospects of detecting optical-wavelength thermal emission during secondary
eclipse with existing ground-based telescopes. We show that OGLE-TR-56b and
OGLE-TR-132b are the best suited candidates for detection, and that the
prospects are highest around z'-band (~0.9 microns). We also speculate that any
newly discovered VHJs with the right combination of orbital separation and host
star parameters could be thermally detected in the optical. The lack of
detections would still provide constraints on the planetary albedos and
re-radiation factors.
