Venus Rising

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This hemispheric view of Venus, was created using more than a decade of radar investigations culminating in the 1990-1994 Magellan mission and is centered on the planet’s North Pole.

The Magellan spacecraft imaged more than 98 percent of the planet Venus and a mosaic of the Magellan images (most with illumination from the west) forms the image base. Gaps in the Magellan coverage were filled with images from the Earth-based Arecibo radar in a region centered roughly on 0 degree latitude and longitude, and with a neutral tone elsewhere (primarily near the south pole). Gaps in the elevation data from the Magellan radar altimeter were filled with altimetry from the Venera spacecraft and the Pioneer Venus missions.

Venus of Milo Greece

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS