[X] My Assistant

[Gladstoner]

Regarding the few images released after the 6/5/2007 Messenger flyby of Venus:

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10124

The image caption states that 614 images were acquired. Are these available?

After all these missions, there is still a lack of (available) visible-light (non-UV) images of the 2nd rock.

[ZLD]

Interesting. I hadn't seen that Messenger image myself. Had any comment been made about ground visibility with that image? Fascinating!



I also would like to note the interesting linear clouds towards the upper left of the dark region. Would be nice if that were smoke.

Here's the same image with the primary set to negative to provide a true color image showing the surface filtered through the cloud deck at the captured wavelengths, where those linear clouds are dark.



Edit: clarity

[4throck]

You can't see the surface in visual wavelengths.
The "atmospheric windows" are on the IR bands.

To view details on the clouds, simply use images on the UV band. Much better than trying to process visible images.

An interesting mission for that was Pioneer Venus.
I've tried to put together a small image library of full disk UV images:
http://www.astrosurf.com/nunes/explor/explor_pvenus.htm

On this case there might be some geometric distortion, since the "camera" was a Photopolarimeter, just like on P10 and P11.