Scientists have constructed a remarkably detailed map of the surface of Venus despite the planet's thick clouds of sulfuric acid that shroud most of its surface.

The high-definition images combining the radar-based capabilities of two terrestrial observatories were so sharp they revealed geologic structures like mountains, craters and volcanoes on Venus, which is 38 million kilometers from Earth at its closest and 260 million km at its farthest.

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Earth's "sister planet" has the densest atmosphere among the solar system's four terrestrial planets in the habitable zone. Venus' atmosphere consists of 96 percent carbon dioxide. It's also choked by clouds of shiny sulfuric acid that make the taking of photographs of its surface virtually impossible.

Scientists, however, combined the radar-based capabilities of two observatories to form incredibly detailed images of the Venusian surface.

They used the transmission abilities of the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to beam radio waves to Venus. Once reflected off Venus' surface, the radio waves were intercepted by receivers at the NSF's 100 meter Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.

"It is painstaking to compare radar images to search for evidence of change, but the work is ongoing," said Bruce Campbell, an astronomer at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"In the meantime, combining images from this and an earlier observing period is yielding a wealth of insight about other processes that alter the surface of Venus."

The new radar technique allowed astronomers to monitor changes in Venus' surface, and will enable further investigation of the planet's geologic systems.