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You are here: Home / Accomplishments / What Did NASA Use To Map The Surface of Venus?

What Did NASA Use To Map The Surface of Venus?

June 30, 2020 by Karen Hill

That’s what the Spacecraft Pioneer was doing. Pioneer was a NASA space machine that has been orbiting the planet Venus since December 1978.

NASA scientists wanted to make a map of Venus. The problem is that the planet is always covered by heavy clouds.

The surface of the planet cannot be seen by the cameras aboard the Pioneer orbiter, the cameras that would normally be used to map a planet. Instead of cameras, NASA scientists have been using the radar aboard Pioneer to “see” beyond the clouds.

What they’ve found is truly remarkable. They’ve learned that Venus had a very rocky surface.

It has a mountain taller than Mount Everest, a group of volcanoes bigger than those that stretch across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Midway, and a plateau as big as the whole of Australia.

Related Facts

  • What Probes Did the USSR Send To Venus and When Did Venera 7 Transmit Surface Images of the Planet Venus?
  • What Is the Surface of Planet Venus Like and Why Is Venus So Hot and Dry?
  • How Did the Planet Venus Get Its Name and What Does Venus Mean In Latin?
  • Who Discovered the Planet Venus and What Is the Planet Venus Best Known For?
  • What Is the Atmosphere On the Planet Venus Made Of and Why Is Venus Permanently Covered By Dense Cloud?
  • What Effect Does the Atmosphere Have On the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus Hotter Than Mercury?
  • What Is the Best Way To Observe the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus the Brightest Planet In the Sky?
  • Why Does the Planet Venus Shine So Brightly In the Sky and How Much Sunlight Does Venus Reflect?
  • Why Is the Planet Venus Covered In Clouds and How Were the Clouds On Venus Formed From Sulfur Dioxide?
  • How Do the Clouds On Venus Move and How Long Do the Clouds On Venus Take To Rotate Around the Planet?
  • How Hot Is the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus Known As the Hottest Planet In the Solar System?
  • Why Does the Planet Venus Have Phases Like Mercury and Why Does Venus Sometimes Appear As a Crescent?

Filed Under: Accomplishments

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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