- Original Caption Released with Image:
-
The hemispheric view of Venus, as revealed by more than
a decade of radar investigations culminating in the 1990-1994
Magellan mission, is centered at 180 degrees east longitude.
The Magellan spacecraft imaged more than 98% of Venus at
a resolution of about 100 meters; the effective resolution of this
image is about 3 km. 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). The composite image was
processed to improve contrast and to emphasize small features,
and was color-coded to represent elevation. Gaps in the elevation
data from the Magellan radar altimeter were filled with altimetry from
the Venera spacecraft and the U.S. Pioneer Venus missions. An
orthographic projection was used, simulating a distant view of one
hemisphere of the planet. The Magellan mission was managed for
NASA by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA. Data
processed by JPL, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA, and the U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ.
- Image Credit:
-
NASA/JPL/USGS
Image Addition Date:
-
1998-06-04
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