Abstract
The varied surfaces and atmospheres of planets make them interesting places
to live, explore, and study from afar. Unfortunately, the great distance to
even the closest exoplanets makes it impossible to resolve their disk with
current or near-term technology. It is still possible, however, to deduce
spatial inhomogeneities in exoplanets provided that different regions are
visible at different times; this can be due to rotation, orbital motion, and
occultations by a star, planet, or moon. Astronomers have so far constructed
maps of thermal emission and albedo for short period giant planets. These maps
constrain atmospheric dynamics and cloud patterns in exotic atmospheres. In the
future, exo-cartography could yield surface maps of terrestrial planets,
hinting at the geophysical and geochemical processes that shape them.
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