We got our first picture from the surface of another planet 50 years ago today, when the Soviet Union’s Venera 9 landed on Venus. It transmitted data from the surface for 53 minutes, including a wide panorama.

Venus is completely covered by thick clouds, so we can’t see its surface from Earth, or even from orbit around Venus – orbiters use radar to peer through the clouds. Venus also has a hot, dense atmosphere, so landing there is tough.

Venera 9 parachuted through the clouds, measuring their thickness and composition. At the surface, it measured the density of the atmosphere – about 90 times the density of Earth’s atmosphere. And it measured the surface temperature – about 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lander was supposed to take a full 360-degree view of the landscape. But the lens cap on one of its cameras didn’t pop off as planned, so Venera photographed only half of the scene around it. The image revealed a flat landscape covered with wide, flat rocks. And the lighting was comparable to a cloudy summer day on Earth.

Venera 9 relayed its findings to Earth through an orbiter. Communication ended when the orbiter moved out of range – ending our first direct view of the surface of Venus.

Venus is the beautiful “morning star” this month. It’s low in the east at dawn, and slowly fades from view in the waxing twilight.

Tomorrow: the most ravenous black hole.

Script by Damond Benningfield