[net.columbia] Naming Craters on Venus

hamachi@ucbvax.UUCP (02/13/86)

>>> BTW, did the Russians run out of craters on Venus or what?  Surely they
>>> could find 5 more to name after the men abord the shuttle.  
>>
>>It is the policy of Soviet map-makers to exclusively label features on
>>Venus with feminine names.
>
>I don't think it is very appropriate to honor the dead astronauts by naming
>a crater after them!  You know what causes a crater, don't you?  Something
>splats into the ground while travelling at a very high rate of speed.

Why is it at all appropriate for the Soviets to be naming features on Venus?
I thought NASA had the first radar imaging data from Venus, and hence first
crack at giving names to craters.