Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2698 08/31/00
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2698
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 08/30/00 – 0000Z (UTC) 08/31/00
Daily Status Report as of 244/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 8631 (Bright Quasar Close Lensing Search II)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to expand the Cycle 8 second generation HST snapshot survey of bright quasars, optimized to find lenses with component image separations < 1". The observations completed nominally.
1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8805 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program. The program will be used to take parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the Parallels Working. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.3 Completed STIS/CCD 8838 (Bias Monitor – Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the bias in the 1×1, 1×2, 2×1, and 2×2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1×1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot columns. The proposal completed nominally.
1.4 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8826 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt 1)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a T dark calibration program that obtains three dark frames every day in order to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. There were no reported anomalies.
1.5 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8414 (STIS Sparse Field CTE test {Cycle 8))
Both the WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were used to conduct CTE measurements using the "sparse field test", along both the serial and parallel axes. This program needs special commanding to provide {a} off-center MSM positionings of some slits, and {b} the ability to read out with any amplifier {A, B, C, or D}. All exposures are internals. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.
1.6 Completed WF/PC-2 8634 (Atmospheric Variability on Uranus and Neptune)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain snapshot observations of Uranus and Neptune to monitor changes in their atmospheres on time scales of months to years. Uranus is rapidly approaching equinox in 2007, with another 4 degrees of latitude in the northern hemisphere becoming visible every year. Recent HST images during this unique epoch have revealed: {i} strongly wavelength-dependent latitudinal structure, {ii} the presence of numerous visible-wavelength cloud features in the northern hemisphere, and, {iii} in the near-IR, discrete features northward of 25degrees N that have the highest contrast ever seen for a Uranian cloud. Long-term ground- based observations show seasonal brightness changes whose origins are not well understood. Recent IR images of Neptune obtained using adaptive optics on the Keck Telescope indicate that a new "Bright Companion" type of feature has recently appeared in the southern hemisphere. Snapshot observations of these two dynamic planets can supply context in which to discern the nature of long-term changes in their latitudinal atmospheric bands and to track the appearance, movement, and disappearance of discrete albedo features. There were no reported problems.
1.7 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8632 (A UV Atlas of Nearby Galaxies)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of local galaxies at UV wavelengths with the F300W filter. The aim of the project is to build a reference UV Atlas of normal galaxies, whose optical images are well known, with the highest possible degree of information, covering all the morphological types and luminosity classes. The proposal completed normally.
1.8 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8808 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make non-scripted, parallel observations as part of a POMS test proposal. The observations completed with no anomalous activity.
1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8250 (Proper Motions of Bulge Stars)
The WF/PC-2 was used for second-epoch observations of two fields in the galactic bulge for proper motion measurements. These observations will allow velocities to be measured with an accuracy of 70km/s, sufficient to study the rotation properties of the bulge and disk in these fields, the vertical kinematics as a function of stellar type, and the presence of kinematic substructure such as might be caused by accretion of small satellites or dissolution of globular clusters. The proposal completed as planned.
1.10 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8266 (Coherence Length of Lyman-Alpha Absorbers at z ~ 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to measure the coherence length of Lyman-Alpha absorbers in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.1, using a new pair of quasars with a separation of 130 arcseconds. For quasars with this brightness {R = 18.1}, redshift and separation are very rare. Coincident absorbers along the line-of-sight to quasar pairs can reveal the geometry of the diffuse but highly ionized gas that makes up the Lyman-Alpha forest; this gas represents the majority of the baryons and it traces the underlying dark matter distribution. The observations completed with no reported anomalies.
1.11 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to make a routine Cycle-8 MAMA dark noise calibration measurement. This proposal will provide the primary means of checking on the health of the MAMA detectors. This is done through frequent monitoring of the background count rate. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported.
1.12 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8157 (Molecular Hydrogen in the Circumstellar Environments of T Tauri Stars)
The Space Telescope Imaging Telescope (CCD and MA1) was used to probe the gaseous environments of low mass pre-main sequence stars by studying the H_2 UV Lyman bands. Fluorescent H_2 Lyman band emission has been detected, pumped by H I Lyman Alpha and Si IV, in 8 classical T Tauri stars but not in 3 naked T Tauri stars. The observations will provide insights into the spatial distribution of gas near classical T Tauri stars. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.13 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8837 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 1)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor the darks. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8816 (Cycle 9 UV Earthflats)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain sequences of earth streak flats to improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set and in order to monitor flat field stability. There were no reported problems.
2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 9
Successful: 9
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 18
Successful: 18
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared five times.
The engineering status buffer limit for SESBSLD was updated twice per ROP DF-18A.
As directed by an operations note, the SSA forward power (SSAFPWR) was transitioned from normal to high power mode four times.
Per HSTAR 7830, a WF/PC-2 error message (06 88 06 68) was received at 244/074913Z for one telemetry sample, returning to "0" at 244/075019Z. Messages beginning with "06" indicate a "shutter encoder" problem. However, at the time blade A was open, blade B was closed, and observations number 146 was executing at the time of the event.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
