Mountains, highlands, lowlands and large plains on Venus - The first map of the surface of the cloud-covered planet by the Pioneer Venus Probe
Abstract
A map of the surface of Venus is available, which includes 83 per cent of the planet surface in the region from 75 degrees North to 63 degrees South. A hilly plain covers 60 per cent of the surface. The lowlands, similar to the ocean floor of the earth, cover 16 per cent of the planet. The moderately hilly planet has considerable drops. There is a 13.7 km elevation differential between the lowest spot and the highest mountain, approximately two thirds the elevation differential on earth. The highlands resemble continents. There are two, which are comparable to the size of Australia and half the size of Africa. A third Highland, named Beta Regio, is circular and has two large volcanoes that are larger than the total volcanic chain from Hawaii to the Midway Islands.
- Publication:
-
Luft und Raumfahrt
- Pub Date:
- 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980LR......1...84B
- Keywords:
-
- Cloud Cover;
- Pioneer Venus Spacecraft;
- Planetary Mapping;
- Relief Maps;
- Venus Atmosphere;
- Venus Surface;
- Highlands;
- Mountains;
- Pioneer Space Probes;
- Volcanoes;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration