UV filters Galileo Options

[Arnaud]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone could help me obtain the spectral transmission curves for the Pioneer Orbiter, Galileo and Mariner 10 UV-filters. Especially the Galileo VLT (violet filter) is of interest.

I'm am currently imaging Venus and found that there is a lack of good commercial filters for imaging Venus' clouds in the amateur world. Most commerical filters have transmissions too deep in the UV to give optimal results because the AR coatings on amateur optics block most of the UV. I made some advancement in constructing better filters which include the violet, allowing me to make more detailed images of the planet than I could before, like these:

http://www.farhorizons.nl/images/astronomi...2023oct2007.jpg

http://www.farhorizons.nl/images/astronomi...201020%20UT.jpg

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4650/be...nelongatki8.jpg

But I feel I could do better. I have turned to the spacecraft that have photographed Venus from space. I already know the spectra curve of the filter used in the VEX mission, but I would also like to know the spectral curves of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, the Mariner 10 and the Galileo probe, who all took images through slightly different filters. Especially the Galileo filter is very interesting, because the optics were AR coated, limiting the UV transparancy to about 375 nm, like most amateur equipment. To analyze the properties of the Galileo Violet filter may contribute significantly to getting a new and better filter.

I have heard that this data is made available by JPL, but I am not very used to search to their images formats and databases. I would be very grateful if anyone could help obtain the transmission curves.

Thank you,

Arnaud van Kranenburg,
The Netherlands