This map of the topography of Venus was obtained by the Magellan radar
altimeter during its 24 months of systematic mapping.  Color is used to
code elevation (see color bar), and simulated shading to emphasize
relief.  Red corresponds to the highest, blue to the lowest
elevations.  The upper image shows the portion of the planet between 69
degrees north and 69 degrees south latitude in Mercator projection;
beneath it are the two polar regions covering latitudes above 44
degrees in stereographic projection.  Height accuracy is better than 50
meters; horizontal ("footprint") resolution of the surface depends on
spacecraft altitude, with a resolution of about 10 kilometers (6 miles)
near the equator and as much as 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) at higher
latitudes.  The Magellan altimeter acquired topography data over 98
percent of the planet's surface.  Gray areas show the coarser results
from the Pioneer Venus (1978) and Venera 15/16 (1983) radar altimeters,
and indicate where data were not obtained by Magellan.  The elevated
region in the north is Ishtar Terra, dominated by Maxwell Montes (the
planet's highest mountains) which rise 11 kilometers (36,000 feet)
above the planetary mean elevation.  Southwest of Ishtar are the
highlands of Beta Regio and Phoebe Regio, which are bisected by a major
north-south trending rift zone.  The scorpion-shaped feature extending
along the equator between 70 and 210 degrees longitude is Aphrodite
Terra, a continent-like highland that contains several spectacular
volcanoes at its eastern limit: Maat, Ozza and Sapas Montes.  The
altimetric data shown here were compiled and analyzed at the Center for
Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.