Sky & Telescope's 15-cm Venus Globe

The nearest planet to us is like Earth in some ways — for example, Venus has nearly the same size, mass, and density. But the planet's dense, cloud-choked atmosphere permanently hides its surface from view. Fortunately, radar can penetrate that opaque global blanket, and this globe shows the surface as revealed by radar imaging performed by NASA's Magellan orbiter (1990–94) and other spacecraft. This globe is labeled with the official, IAU-approved names of more than 150 craters and other geologic features. Also shown are the landing sites and dates for 13 U.S. and Soviet spacecraft. The simulated color is based on surface images taken in 1982 by the Venera 13 and 14 landers. Bright areas show locations that are rough at scales of about 12 cm (5 inches) and thus strong reflectors of radar energy. These regions tend to mark ancient, rocky terrain. Dark regions are relatively smooth and usually indicate broad plains of solidified lava. The globe comes with a freestanding, clear plastic b