Beneath Venus' Clouds
Explanation:
If the thick clouds covering Venus were removed,
how would the surface appear? Using an
imaging
radar
technique, the
Magellan
spacecraft
was able to lift the veil from the
Face
of Venus
and produce
this spectacular
high resolution imageof
the planet's surface. Red, in this false-color map, represent
mountains, while blue represents valleys This 3-kilometer resolution
map is a composite of
Magellan
images compiled between 1990 and 1994. Gaps were filled in by
the Earth-based
Arecibo Radio Telescope.
The large yellow/red area in the north is
Ishtar Terra
featuring
Maxwell Montes,
the largest mountain on
Venus. The
large highland regions are analogous to continents on Earth. Scientists
are particularly interested in exploring the geology of Venus
because of its
similarity to Earth.
Information:
Thursday, September 26 - A Total Lunar Eclipse
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
