NASA shares stunning image of Venus captured during Magellan mission | Tech News

NASA shares stunning image of Venus captured during Magellan mission

NASA has shared a stunning image of the surface of Venus captured during the Magellan Mission. Check out the amazing image below.

By: SHAURYA TOMER
| Updated on: Sep 06 2022, 13:24 IST
NASA reveals stunning Jupiter images captured by James Webb Space Telescope
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1/6 Amazingly, currently, on Jupiter, there are auroras, storms, extreme temperatures and powerful winds stirring things up, according to NASA. The images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope could give scientists a look at the conditions of the gas giant. (NASA)
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2/6 Planetary astronomer Imke de Pater, professor emerita of the University of California, Berkeley said, “We hadn’t really expected it to be this good, to be honest. It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites, and even galaxies in one image.” (NASA)
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3/6 The images were captured by the telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument on July 27, which highlighted the planet's unique features. According to NASA, the NIRCam has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet. (AFP)
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4/6 The image was created by compositing several images. Auroras are visible near the Northern and Southern poles of the planet. According to NASA, the auroras shine in a filter that is mapped to redder colors, which also highlights light reflected from lower clouds and upper hazes. (NASA)
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5/6 The Great Red Spot as well as other clouds can be visible in the images as white since it is reflecting the sunlight. The Great Red Spot is a giant vortex which has been swirling around on Jupiter’s surface for a long time. Jupiter’s 2 moons, Amalthea and Adrastea can also be seen “photo-bombing” the planet. (REUTERS)
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6/6 Thierry Fouchet, a professor at the Paris Observatory, as part of an international collaboration for Webb’s Early Release Science program said, “This one image sums up the science of our Jupiter system program, which studies the dynamics and chemistry of Jupiter itself, its rings, and its satellite system.” (NASA/AFP)
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Check out this stunning image of the Venusian surface captured during the Magellan Mission. (NASA)

NASA has time and time again sent probes to various planets to capture them in all their glory. The Magellan Mission, named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, was also launched with this aim and captured some stunning images of Venus during its time orbiting the planet. NASA has recently shared one such image captured by the space agency's probe, showing craters on the surface of the Morning and the Evening Star.

The image, called “Crater Farm”, shows impact craters and layers of volcanic activity on the surface of the planet. According to NASA, “Three impact craters are displayed in this three-dimensional perspective view of the surface of Venus. The center of the image is located at approximately 27 degrees south latitude, 339 degrees east longitude in the northwestern portion of Lavinia Planitia.”

The data sent during the Magellan mission revealed that nearly 85 percent of the surface of Venus is covered in layers deposited by volcanic activity. These geographical features can exist on the planet for millions of years due to the absence of erosion activity.

David Grinspoon, Curator of Astrobiology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science said in the NASA blog, "I remember when I first laid my eyes on a press release image from early on in the Magellan mission of an area informally called the 'Crater Farm.' I could see in that one image that there was something really strange about Venus. It still seems really strange now, even though this image is from the early 90s. The Crater Farm image shows these very pristine looking craters, super-imposed on a volcanic background that are not lapping up at all onto the edge of the craters.”

What was the Magellan Mission?

Launched on May 4, 1989, the Magellan Mission was one of NASA's most successful space probe missions. According to NASA, it was the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus and made several discoveries about the planet. It was also the first deep space probe which was launched with the help of a space shuttle.

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First Published Date: 06 Sep, 13:24 IST
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