PIA00248: Venus - Aphrodite Terra
 Target Name:  Venus
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Magellan
 Spacecraft:  Magellan
 Instrument:  Imaging Radar
 Product Size:  1280 x 1024 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Producer ID:  P38975
 Addition Date:  1996-03-14
 Primary Data Set:  Magellan MIDRs
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA00248.tif (797.9 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA00248.jpg (294.6 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Landslides on Venus! The image on the left was taken in late November of 1990 during Magellan's first trip around Venus. The image on the right was taken July 23, as the Magellan spacecraft passed over the region for the second time. Each image is 24 kilometers (14.4 miles) across and 38 kilometers (23 miles) long, and is centered at 2 degrees south latitude and 74 degrees east longitude. This pair of Magellan images shows a region in Aphrodite Terra, within a steeply sloping valley that is cut by many fractures. In the center of the image on the right, a bright, flow-like area can be seen extending to the west (left) of a bright fracture. The bright, rough area has appeared and the fracture has changed position in the 8 months since the first image was made. A 'Venusquake' may have occurred, producing a new scarp and causing a landslide (the bright area) to form. This is the first evidence of active tectonics occurring on other planets in the solar system. Resolution of the Magellan data is 120 meters (400 feet).

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL

Image Addition Date:
1996-03-14