Parallel Lines Target Name:   Venus Spacecraft:   Magellan Produced by:   Calvin J. Hamilton Copyright:  © Calvin J. Hamilton (Publisher Permission Request)

• Venus

Two groups of parallel features that intersect almost at right angles are visible. The regularity of this terrain caused scientists to nickname it graph paper terrain. The fainter lineations are spaced at intervals of about 1 kilometer (.6 miles) and extend beyond the boundaries of the image. The brighter, more dominant lineations are less regular and often appear to begin and end where they intersect the fainter lineations. It is not yet clear whether the two sets of lineations represent faults or fractures, but in areas outside the image, the bright lineations are associated with pit craters and other volcanic features.

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