“When you have that ability to pick up an image and say I want the first three people, I want the first five people to ever look at this piece of ground on another planet. It’s such a sense of awe and a sense of discovery.”

 

Magellan’s radar strips away the thick clouds. For the first time ever, we see all the Venus lay bare. Welcome to lava land. 

 

“There are volcanoes of all sizes / from a kilometer/ across to hundreds of kilometers across. In essence it’s not all that different from some areas on the earth. But on the other hand, it’s of course this dry world with no vegetation at all.”

 

It’s the sheer number of volcanoes that sets Venus apart. This is a world that has been tortured by fire. Over 1,600 giant volcanoes puncture the surface. It’s possible some are still active. Mark Bullock enjoys spending time on Venus at least the virgin he found.