Planetary geologist and Venusologist Dr. Vicki Hansen wears a blue shirt, stands against a wall and smiles at the camera.

Gassy veils! Orange sunlight! Alien life? It’s the sole goddess of our solar system: Venus. And to tour us through her beauty is the charming and enthusiastic planetary geologist and Venusian expert Dr. Vickie Hansen, a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. In what is sure to become an instant classic, Vickie will delight you with tales of space probes past and future, dazzling terrain, myths, melting machinery, “noodle data,” analogues to Earth, tectonic misconceptions, and reactions to self-help books that capitalize on our solar geography. Also: what does Venus smell like?

Listen via Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Ad-free episodes available by subscribing to SiriusXM Podcasts+. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Learn more about Dr. Vicki Hansen

Donations went to the Planetary Science Institute and the Nature Conservancy

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More links you may enjoy:

Every picture from Venus' surface, ever

NASA’s Revealing the Face of Venus: Magellan

Guide to Magellan Image Interpretation. JPL Publication

Venus Radar Calibrated Multi-Look Maps

Venus: Shaded Relief

Venus tesserae feature layered, folded, and eroded rocks

And all who sail in … it? The language row over 'female' ships

Why We Call a Ship a She: A salty retired U.S. Navy flag officer shuns the current trend toward political correctness.