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    Instruments

    VMC: Venus Monitoring Camera

    The VMC camera consists of one unit that houses the optics, CCD and readout electronics (CRE), digital processing unit (DPU), and power converter (POC). The camera has four separate objective lens systems, each of which images a different, filter selected wavelength range onto a quadrant of a common 1032 × 1024 pixel Charge Coupled Device (CCD) detector. The field of view of the camera is 17.5 degrees (0.3 radians) and the image scale is 0.74 milliradians per pixel.

    VMC filter parameters
    Filter Centre wavelength (μm) Bandwidth (μm, FWHP) Observation goals
    Dayside Nightside
    F3 (UV) 0.365 0.04 Unknown UV absorber O2 nightglow at 0.356 & 0.376 μm
    F4 (VIS) 0.513 0.05 Visible light imaging O2 nightglow at 0.376 μm
    F5 (NIR1) 0.965 0.07 H2O at ~70 km H2O below 70 km, clouds
    F6 (NIR2) 1.01 0.02 H2O below 70 km Surface, clouds

     

    VMC optical design
    VMC channel F4 (VIS) F5 (NIR1) F6 (NIR2) F3 (UV)
    Focal length 13 mm 13 mm 13 mm 13 mm
    F-number 5 5 5 7
    Optics Three identical Cooke triplets + curved front filter Separate Cooke triplet + curved front filter

    VIRTIS: Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer

    Last Update: 14 Dec 2012

    • Shortcut URL
    • http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=33964
    • Related Articles
    • Introduction
    • Instruments in Brief
    • ASPERA-4: Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms
    • MAG: Magnetometer
    • PFS: Planetary Fourier Spectrometer
    • SPICAV: Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Venus
    • VeRa: Venus Radio Science
    • VIRTIS: Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer
    • VMC: Venus Monitoring Camera
    • Related Links
    • MAG: Magnetometer
    • PFS: Planetary Fourier Spectrometer
    • VIRTIS: Spectrographic Mapper at Observatoire de Paris
    • VIRTIS: Spectrographic Mapper at IASF
    • VMC: Venus Monitoring Camera

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