After centuries of studying the stars through telescopes, the arrival of the space age has enabled humanity to take a closer look at what we see, and don't see, in the night sky. Among the most powerful tools that space scientists have come to rely upon in studying other planets is remote sensing. With a range of equipment on board, satellites are able to send back a wealth of information about what the surface of planets look like and what they constitute. Further analysis of this information back on Earth can flesh out even more details, giving scientists a deeper look into the formation of the objects under study.