A powerful astronomical technique that uses radar echoes to furnish otherwise unavailable information about bodies in the solar system. By comparing a radar echo to the transmitted signal, information can be obtained about the target's size, shape, topography, surface bulk density, spin vector, and orbital elements, as well as the presence of satellites and in certain situations the target's mass and density. While other astronomical techniques rely on passive measurement of reflected sunlight or naturally emitted radiation, the illumination used in radar astronomy is a coherent signal whose polarization and time modulation or frequency modulation are tailored to meet specific scientific objectives. Through measurements of the distribution of echo power in time delay or Doppler frequency, radar achieves spatial resolution of a planetary target despite the fact that the radar beam is typically much larger than the angular extent of the target. This capability is particularly valuable for asteroids and planetary satellites, which appear as unresolved point sources through optical telescopes. Moreover, the centimeter-to-meter wavelengths used in radar astronomy readily penetrate cometary comas and the optically opaque clouds that conceal Venus and Titan, and also permit determination of near-surface roughness (abundance of wavelength-scale rocks), bulk density, and metal concentration in planetary regoliths.