Craters of Venus Desk Sculpture

Venus is the second plant from the Sun in our solar system and is the brightest natural object in our night sky after the moon. Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty this planet, also called the “Morning Star” and the “Evening Star” has captured the imagination of poets and writers for centuries with its path across the sky being charted as early as 2000 BCE.

Being the closest planet to us, Venus was a logical target for interplanetary exploration. We first visited Venus in 1962 with the Mariner 2 spacecraft and we successfully landed on the surface in 1970 using the Venera 7. Venus’s thick clouds render observation of its surface using visible light impossible, so out first detailed maps did not emerge until the arrival of the Magellan orbiter in 1991.

This desk sculpture pays tribute to Venus and the impact it has on our culture and our psyche throughout history.