A
radar image of the
surface of Venus, centered at 180 degrees east longitude. This composite image was created from mapping by the
Magellan probe, supplemented by data gathered by the
Pioneer orbiter, with simulated hues based on color images recorded by
Venera 13 and
14. No
probe has been able to survive more than a few hours on
Venus's surface, which is completely obscured by clouds, because the
atmospheric pressure is some 90 times that of the Earth's, and its surface temperature is around 450 °C (842 °F).
Image credit: NASA
