Imagining Venus: Before the Spacecraft Arrived

Before spacecraft reached Venus, artists and scientists imagined what its mysterious surface might look like. This striking illustration envisions a desolate landscape under an eerie sky, dominated by cratered plains and rugged ridges. For centuries, Venus was thought to be Earth’s twin—lush and possibly habitable. But missions like Mariner 2 and the Soviet Venera landers shattered those ideas, revealing an environment of crushing pressures and blistering temperatures. This artwork captures humanity’s early attempts to visualize a world that was just out of reach.