The Venus Monitoring Camera has four independent optical channels sharing one CCD. There is a VIS channel, with a spectral range of 503 to 523 nanometers; two near-infrared channels, with 900 to 970 and 990 to 1030 nanometer filters; and one UV channel, with a spectral range of 345 to 385. Most published VMC images employ the UV channel, because a mysterious substance in Venus' clouds that is dark in the ultraviolet helps us see wind motion.

ESA / MPS