First light for the Venus Monitoring Camera
This image, taken by the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) during commissioning of the Venus Express instruments, shows Earth and Moon from 3.5 million kilometres away.
The exposure time was set to obtain a signal from the Moon in all four channels simultaneously. For this reason Earth is overexposed.
The value of such images to the scientific teams is that it allows them to test and calibrate their instruments before Venus approach.
VMC is a wide-angle multi-channel camera that will be able to take images of the planet in the near-infrared, ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. VMC will be able to make global images and will study the cloud dynamics and image the surface. In addition it will assist in the identification of phenomena seen by other instruments.
The VMC team is led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany.
- Looking at Venus
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express - ESApod: Venus Express
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_Express_ESApod_br - And now… straight to Venus!
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/And_now_straight_to_Venus - Successful Venus Express main engine test
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Successful_Venus_Express_main_engine_test - First light for the Venus Monitoring Camera
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/First_light_for_the_Venus_Monitoring_Camera - Earth-Moon observations from Venus Express
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Earth-Moon_observations_from_Venus_Express - Venus Express performs flawlessly, LEOP complete
http://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC/Venus_Express_performs_flawlessly_LEOP_complete - Venus Express mission operations update
http://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC/Venus_Express_mission_operations_update - Venus Express en route to probe the planet's hidden mysteries
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_Express_en_route_to_probe_the_planet_s_hidden_mysteries - Status reports
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31575&farchive_objecttypeid=30&farchive_objectid=30930 - Venus Express factsheet
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_Express_factsheet - Venus ground-based image active archive
http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=VENUS - The Venus Amateur Observing Project
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=38833 - Venus Express operations
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Venus_Express_operations - Cebreros station webcam
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/ESTRACK_Cebreros_webcam