New Images of Venus Reveal What's Beneath Its Cloudy Blanket

Astronomers have received some new, details images of the surface of Venus, which is normally shrouded by thick clouds made mostly of carbon dioxide. Scientists combined the highly sensitive receiving capabilities of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and the powerful radio transmitter at the Arecibo Observatory to receive new detailed pictures.

The radar signals from Arecibo actually passed thorugh both our planet's atmosphere and the atmosphere of Venus, where they hit the surface and then bounced back to be received by the GBT. This process, in particular, is known as bistatic radar.

High-resolution radar images of Venus were first obtained by Arecibo in 1988 and most recently by Arecibo/GBT in 2012. There was also additional coverage in the early 2000s. These observations allow scientists to study the surface as it appears now, and any changes that occur over time. The researchers hope that by studying these images, they'll eventually detect signs of active volcanism or other processes.

"It is painstaking to compare radar images to search for evidence of change, but the work is ongoing," said Bruce Campbell, one of the researchers, in a news release. "In the meantime, combining images for this and an earlier observing period is yielding a wealth of insight about other processes that alter the surface of Venus."

The recent images reveal a bit more about the surface of Mars. More specifically, they give scientists the opportunity to compare images now and in the past in order to see if any dynamic changes are occurring on the surface of the planet.

The findings are published in the journal Icarus.

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