Surveyors measure and draw what the earth's surface looks like.
Even from five hundred kilometers, the star's surface did not look threatening.
The surface of the bar looked worn and well used.
But all the surface of the waste looked level.
The outer surface looked as though it had been burned by fire.
The surface looked like black steel, though it did not sparkle in the afternoon sun.
You can see where the surface looks black and charred.
The smooth, domed surface looked like it had to be opened from inside.
The surface of the ocean often looks very rough, but once you go underwater it is quite calm.
This requires both observation and theoretical modeling to record what the surface of the star looks like.