@ARTICLE {, title = {Čo nám o Venuši povedala misia Magellan?}, author = {Roth, Ladislav Emanuel}, journal = {Obzory matematiky, fyziky a informatiky}, year = {2020}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {41--58}, issn = {1335-4981}, abstract = {The Magellan Mission (1989-1994) brought about the peak in the exploration of the surface of Venus. Three approaches have been utilized to carry out that exploration: directly from Earth, from spacecraft on the way to other destination, and from dedicated spacecraft in orbit around Venus. Historically, the doctrine of the plurality of worlds considered Venus as the abode of the higher forms of life. Telescopic observations presented Venus permanently shrouded in clouds. The implied dampness under the clouds supposedly meant hospitality to life. The conviction that Venus is habitable and indeed inhabited lasted through the beginning of the twentieth century. Spectroscopic and radiometric measurements from Earth suggested that the atmosphere of Venus is composed of carbon dioxide (CO2) and that its temperature (around 300° C) is too high to support life. Radar aboard the orbiting Magellan spacecraft mapped the entire surface of Venus. The high-resolution Magellan radar data permitted to carry out a complete classification and interpretation of the geological landforms on Venus. The surface of Venus is a world almost exclusively fashioned by volcanism. The low number of the collision (meteoroid) craters bears witness to a cataclysmic event that took place about 500 million years ago. Lava then flooded most of the planet’s surface. The Magellan radar did not find signs of the global tectonic activity. Likewise, it did not find signs of erosion. All in all, the Magellan Mission confirmed the unique place of Venus among the planets of the solar system.}, }