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Magellan Arrives at Venus[/caption].
Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Welcome to the second article in this series ‘Lost In Space – Solar System Tour - #2 Venus’. First, I would like to express my ‘Thanks’ to the NASA/JPL Magellan Team & Web Site[2] for all of the images shown here, today. Let’s start out with some of the basic facts and figures about our ‘Sister Planet’ Venus.Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. Babylonians in 1581 BCE did the first known observations of Venus. Previously known as both the ‘Morning Star’ and the ‘Evening Star’ it was the Babylonians that discovered that they were one in the same.
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Venus is known as the ‘Sister Planet’ of Earth. This is due to the fact that Venus is closest to Earth in; size, orbit of the sun, gravity and bulk composition. Venus orbits the sun in just 224.7 days. Now, most planets in our solar system rotate, on their axis, in an anti-clockwise direction, also known as a retrograde rotation or ‘orbit’. Further, Venus rotates the slowest of all the planets taking a full 243 Earth Days to complete on rotation. That means that a single day on Venus would last 243 days.[3]
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All of the images of Venus, here in this article, are the product of the Magellan project. Taken by Magellan’s cameras, during its mapping of 98% of the surface of Venus, in the four years it spent in orbit. In 1994 NASA directed the Magellan spacecraft to plunge to the surface of Venus. This was done so that the Magellan spacecraft to make atmospheric observations, on its way to the surface. Of all the planets in our solar system, we have the most complete map of the surface of Venus, thanks to the Magellan spacecraft (shown in the artist rendition of Magellan arriving at Venus at the top of the page) .
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Venus - Computer Simulated Global View of the Northern Hemisphere[/caption](Venus - Computer Simulated Global View of the Northern Hemisphere)[4]
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The image above is a computer-simulated view of the Northern Hemisphere of Venus. At the very center of the image, we see Venus’ North Pole. This image was produced by, and here in thanks to, the Solar System Visualization Project and the Magellan Science team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Multimission Image Processing Laboratory.
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My Dear Readers, I must admit that when I came to the Magellan web site, at NSA/JPL, I was simply amazed at the detail of the images I saw. I am very pleased to have these images to share with you, My Dear Readers, today in this the second edition of my Tour of Our Solar System thanks to the ‘Lost In Space’ series. The next two images were some of the first that I saw, and downloaded. I had never, really, looked at… seen the hemispheres of planet other than Earth. In this first image we seen the Hemispheric View of Venus centered on the North Pole.
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Hemispheric View of Venus Centered at the North Pole[/caption](Hemispheric View of Venus Centered at the North Pole)[5]
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Our next image is the computer generated hemispheric view of Venus centered on the South Pole. Ok… My Dear Readers, I am just simply amazed at the; level of detail, contrast, depth of view and…. Well… just the entirety of the view of the top and bottom half of the planet of Venus. I just had to share these views with you, My Dear Readers. I really do hope that you enjoy these images just as much as I do. They are really fantastic!
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Hemispheric View of Venus Centered at the South Pole[/caption](Hemispheric View of Venus Centered at the South Pole)[6]
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I know… gonna be kind if difficult to follow those images. Yet, My Dear Readers, I do believe that I have just the thing! Venus has some of the highest mountains and volcanoes in our solar system. Just for you, My Dear Readers, I have a wonderful three-dimensional image of the second tallest volcano on the surface of Venus, Maat Mons. Maat Mons is also the second highest mountain on the surface of Venus. Rising to nearly five miles above the mean surface of Venus!
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Venus - Three Dimensional Perspective View of Maat Mons[/caption](Venus - Three Dimensional Perspective View of Maat Mons)[7]
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Now, not to be outdone by mountains and volcanoes, Venus has some pretty impressive scars. (see image below)The majority of the surface of Venus is marked by volcanic flows. One such volcanic flow mars the surface of Venus. Measuring 81 feet in depthand twenty-five miles wide the Sag Caldera 'Sachs Patera is a huge feature on the surface of Venus. Created by a chamber of molten material, that drained and collapsed, forming a huge depression. Concentric scarps that are spaced 1.2 to 3 miles apart surround this depression.
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Sag Caldera 'Sachs Patera[/caption](Sag Caldera 'Sachs Patera)[8]
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For your viewing pleasure, My Dear Readers, next we go back up! Our next image is a computer enhancement of radar imaging of the volcano ‘Sapas Mons’. Spas is named after the Canaanite sun goddess, Shapash (‘Torch of the Gods’). This volcano measures, at its widest point, 250 miles across and climbs to the height of 0.93 miles. Now, My Dear Readers, I have included just one image of this wonder of the surface of Venus. However, as I did my research to write a little about this feature, I found that there are many beautiful images of this volcano. So, if you are of the mind. When you are finished reading this article, all you need to is ‘Google’ (verbing my nouns, again) the name ‘Sapas Mons’ to enjoy the many splendid images of this volcano. Enjoy!
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False Color Image of Volcano Sapas Mons[/caption](False Color Image of Volcano Sapas Mons)[9]
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Well, My Dear Readers, that brings us to our last image of Venus, thanks (again) to the NASA/JPL spacecraft Magellan. For our final images I have saved one of the best for the last. I really wish that I was able (allowed) to bring you these images in full resolution. This being a ‘free’ blog, I have limitations on the size and resolution I am allowed to share. One day… I have a dream… to have my own blog! When/if that time comes, I will be sure to go back and share these wonderful images in the full splendor. Till then, below is a wonderful image of Ovda Regio. Low lands to the north of Ovda Regio, the major feature is a Shield Volcano that bears a striking resemblance of Mount St. Helen’s.
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Magellan's Perspective View of Ovda Regio[/caption](Magellan's Perspective View of Ovda Regio)[10]
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You know… My Dear Readers… I started this ‘Tour of Our Solar System’ to help build your appreciation for our solar system. That was my ‘goal’. Yet, in the process… something different has happened. I find myself in awe. In awe of the wonders and beauty that make up the solar system our earth, belongs. We are but tiny specs, on the surface of this earth. Yet, we hold the potential to venture to, and walk on all of these surfaces! As humans… and as Americans I feel that we owe it to future generations to make the effort(s) necessary to venture to these far-flung relatives of Earth.
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What a crime it would be… to deprive, our children and our children’s children, of the joy of discovery. The joy, and the wonder, that is our universe, our Solar System. Toosimply, out of avarice, rob future generations of these discoveries has to be the greatest crime this generation has committed against another, and against mankind.
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Adieu!
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Thank YOU!
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The Other Shoe eBay Store[/caption].
http://www.ebay.com/usr/enzomatrixlt
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Danny Hanning of The Other Shoe - May 6th, 2014[/caption]
[…] Lost In Space – Tour of Our Solar System – #2 Venus : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Welcome to the second article in this series ‘Lost In Space – Solar System Tour – #2 Venus’. First, I would like to express my ‘Thanks’ to the NASA/JPL Magellan Team & Web Site[2] for all of the images shown here, today. Let’s start out with some of the basic facts and figures about our ‘Sister Planet’ Venus. Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty. Babylonians in 1581 BCE did the first known observations of Venus. Previously known as both the ‘Morning Star’ and the ‘Evening Star’ it was the Babylonians that discovered that they were one in the same.” […]
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