These are the first visible-light images of Venus’ surface captured from space

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe got a glimpse of the terrain during a couple of flybys

a grayscale photo of the surface of Venus against a backdrop of stars

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe peered through Venus’ cloud cover to take the first visible-light images (one shown) of the planet’s surface captured from space. The large dark splotch in the middle is Aphrodite Terra, a highland region. The streaks are caused by charged particles and dust grains striking the camera.