The overall geography of the Venereal surface has been determined largely by a) visible light photography, b)

Question

b) photography from orbiting spacecraft in long elliptical orbits in order to descend below the clouds during part of their orbits

c) unmanned spacecraft which landed on the surface

d) radar techniques from orbiting spacecraft

THANKS

Answer 1

The answer is D.  I've owned a wonderful video of radar imaging of Venus for years.  Its vertical dimension has been wildly exaggerated for effect.  And the colors are undoubtedly enhanced for entertainment value.  Still, the feeling of flying over the "surface" of that planet is incredible.  But not truly realistic.  Of course realism is over-rated.  

Answer 2

*Whose* venereal surface?

Answer 3

d)

That's how it was done.  But it is now possible to image the surface of Venus in a narrow band of infrared light.  It's been done from Earth with a small telescope - 16", i think.  So, in principal, it could be done optically.  Venus Express can do this from Venus orbit.  It's not doing a mapping mission so much as looking for active volcanic activity.

I've never heard anything having to do with Venus called Venereal.

Answer 4

You might wanna doublecheck the definition of Venereal...I think you mean Venusian, or something similar.

The answer is C.  I can't recall the lander's name, but it was Russian and it got smooshed and dissolved in fairly short order.

Answer 5

d) - with a little help from the Venera lander

Answer 6

d) Radar techniques from orbiting spacecraft.

The Veneran surface is not visible normally due to the thick atmosphere. No spacecraft could consistently survive trips through the sulfuric acid clouds, and landing spacecraft would not survive the intense heat and pressure for very long.