Venus

Mariner 10 nears Venus. Gouache on illustration board, 1975. artwork © Don Dixon/cosmographica.com

189-venus-surface-dixon – This dramatic painting depicts the hellish and volatile environment on the surface of Venus. A massive active volcano erupts on the rugged horizon, spewing a thick, billowing column of dark ash into a heavy, oppressive atmosphere choked with dense sulfuric acid clouds. Lightning bolts crackle through the murky sky, casting an eerie glow over a hyper-heated, fractured landscape of volcanic rock, jagged slab-like formations, and ancient lava flows rendered in toxic shades of amber, sulfur-yellow, and deep brown. acrylic and gouache on illustration board, 1975

124-venus-surface-dixon – Venus' lava strewn surface bakes at 900 degrees F ; acrylic and goauche on paper, 1980

100-venus-landing-dixon – This dramatic space art painting visualizes the Pioneer-Venus spacecraft resting on the hostile surface of Venus after its historic descent. The lander, shaped with its signature circular aerodynamic braking shield and spherical pressure hull, sits amidst a desolate field of dark, jagged volcanic boulders and fine orange regolith. The alien landscape is illuminated by an eerie, diffused light filtering through the planet's crushingly dense, sulfur-choked atmosphere, casting soft shadows across the rolling volcanic plains and distant craggy hills.; acrylic on board, 1978

098-venusian-caldera-dixon – This high-angle geological painting depicts a massive volcanic caldera complex on the surface of Venus. Columns of pale, glowing gas or steam vent from dynamic fissures within the concentric, terraced crater rings, highlighting active tectonic processes. The rugged, basaltic mountain flanks drop away into deep shadow beneath an oppressive, intensely thick orange-red atmosphere that blankets the volatile planetary landscape.; vinyl on animation cel, 1978

097-inferno-dixon –This dramatic landscape painting portrays the oppressive, superheated environment on the surface of Venus, aptly titled "Inferno." In the foreground, heavily textured, smooth-topped boulders and volcanic rocks sit under the extreme atmospheric pressure of the inner planet. The sky above is filled with thick, turbulent clouds of sulfuric acid, which split dramatically to reveal a heavily distorted, flattened Sun hanging low over a hazy, orange-saturated horizon. (dated concept) ; vinyl on animation cel, 1978

095-venus-atmosphere-entry-dixon – The illustration depicts a planetary probe undergoing high-velocity atmospheric entry into the upper atmosphere of Venus. A brilliant incandescent plasma sheath envelopes the descending spacecraft, trailing a narrow, glowing ablation wake against the dark backdrop of space. Below, the dense, continuous sulfuric acid cloud deck of Venus stretches toward the horizon, illuminated by the distant sun with a distinct atmospheric haze layer separating the cloud tops from the vacuum above. ; acrylic on board, 1977

094-venus-multiprobe-dixon – The illustration details the deployment phase of the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe mission as it approaches its target destination. The cylindrical main bus, covered in blue solar panels, has released its four atmospheric entry probes: the large probe and three smaller identical probes, all configured with conical heat shields. In the background, the featureless, pale-yellow globe of Venus looms large against the blackness of interplanetary space, capturing the tense moments before atmospheric insertion.; acrylic on board, 1977

093-pioneer-venus-orbiter-dixon – the first probe to orbit Venus and map its hidden surface by radar ; acrylic on board, 1978