Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2025 May 11
     [2]A black & white image shows an empty flat landscape filled with
   flattened rocks. At the bottom is part of the spacecraft that captured
     this image of the planet Venus. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                     The Surface of Venus from Venera 14
    Image Credit: [3]Soviet Planetary Exploration Program, [4]Venera 14;
    Processing & [5]Copyright: [6]Donald Mitchell & Michael Carroll (used
                              with permission)

   Explanation: If you could stand on [7]Venus -- what would you see?
   Pictured is the view from Venera 14, a robotic [8]Soviet lander which
   parachuted and [9]air-braked down through the thick Venusian atmosphere
   in March of 1982. The desolate landscape it saw included flat rocks,
   vast empty terrain, and a featureless sky above [10]Phoebe Regio near
   [11]Venus' equator. On the lower left is the spacecraft's
   [12]penetrometer used to make scientific measurements, while the light
   piece on the right is part of an ejected lens-cap. Enduring
   [13]temperatures near 450 degrees [14]Celsius and [15]pressures 75
   times that on Earth, the hardened [16]Venera spacecraft lasted only
   about an hour. Although data from [17]Venera 14 was beamed across the
   inner [18]Solar System over 40 years ago, digital processing and
   merging of [19]Venera's unusual images continues even today. Recent
   analyses of [20]infrared measurements taken by [21]ESA's orbiting
   [22]Venus Express spacecraft indicate that active [23]volcanoes may
   currently exist on Venus.

                 Jigsaw Fun: [24]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                   Tomorrow's picture: Milky Way side view
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [40]Specific rights apply.
            [41]NASA Web Privacy, [42]Accessibility, [43]Notices;
                A service of: [44]ASD at [45]NASA / [46]GSFC,
                         [47]NASA Science Activation
                           & [48]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/Venus_Venera14_1705.jpg
   3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program
   4. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1981-110D
   5. http://mentallandscape.com/Copyright.htm
   6. http://mentallandscape.com/Index.htm
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/venus/
   8. http://mentallandscape.com/V_Venus.htm
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_brake_(aeronautics)
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebe_Regio
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera#/media/File:VenusLanderTopo.jpg
  12. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experiment/display.action?id=1981-110D-10
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/solar-system-temperatures/
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius
  15. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/venus-air-pressure
  16. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/venera.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera_14
  18. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/orrery/#/home
  19. http://mentallandscape.com/V_DigitalImages.htm
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200114.html
  21. http://www.esa.int/
  22. http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Venus_Express
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201027.html
  24. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250510.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250511
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250512.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  44. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  47. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  48. http://www.mtu.edu/