Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #2850 – 13 Apr 2001
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #2850
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/12/01 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/13/01
Daily Status Report as of 103/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8827 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot
pixels. The proposal completed nominally.
1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)
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 with no anomalous activity.
1.3 Completed WF/PC-2 8712 (The Wind Accretion Wake In A Detached
Binary System)
The WF/PC-2 was used to observe RW Hya {= HD 117970}, the only
known detached binary system, where direct observational evidence for wind
accretion onto a white dwarf is found. UV
observations will enable the investigator to advance knowledge in a field
which has for long had to remain a theoretical subject. RW Hya is an
eclipsing system containing a mass-losing M-giant and a hot white dwarf on
circular orbits {370 days}. The observation completed with no reported
problems.
1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Parallel Archive
Proposal Continuation)
The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the
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 Group. The observations completed with no anomalous
activity.
1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks for the CCD. The proposal completed nominally.
1.6 Completed Six Sets of WF/PC-2 8699 (The Origin of Short-Period Comets)
The WF/PC-2 was used to detect and characterize cometary nuclei in
order to determine the basic physical properties of a large fraction of the
population of short-period comets. By acquiring statistically significant
data, we can study the origin of this family of comets and test the
hypothesis that they are collisional fragments from the Kuiper Belt
Objects. The observations completed with no reported problems.
1.7 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1 8860 (MAMA Fold Distribution)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to monitor
the performance of MAMA microchannel plates using a MAMA fold analysis
procedure. The fold analysis provides a measurement of the distribution of
charge cloud sizes incident upon the anode giving some measure of changes
in the pulse-height distribution of the MCP and, therefore, MCP
gain. There were no problems.
1.8 Completed STIS/MA1 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise. The proposal
completed nominally.
1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA2 8863 (NUV-MAMA Cycle 9 Flats)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to obtain
NUV-MAMA observations of the internal Deuterium lamp to construct an NUV
flat applicable to all NUV modes. There were no reported problems.
1.10 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.
1.11 Completed STIS/MA1 8862 (FUV-MAMA Cycle 9 Flats)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to obtain
FUV-MAMA observations of the internal Krypton lamp to construct an FUV flat
applicable to all FUV modes. No problems were encountered.
1.12 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: 14
Successful: 12
Per HSTAR 8162, the acquisition at 103/032029Z failed after four
attempts to achieve finelock when the search radius limit was exceeded on
FGS-3. Two proposals, each occurring during the period of the next report,
were affected: WF/PC 8699 and STIS 8863.
Per HSTAR 8163, the acquisition at 103/045707Z when the search
radius limit was exceeded on both FGS-1 and FGS-3. Two proposals, each
occurring during the period of the next report, were affected: WF/PC 8699
and STIS 8862.
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 0
Successful: 0
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 26
Successful: 26
2.3 Operations Notes:
Using ROP DF-18A, the CCS engineering status buffer (ESB) limits
were adjusted four times. The ESB was also dumped and cleared four times,
using the same ROP.
The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 102/1444Z per ROP SR-1A.
Operations personnel supported GSFC Internal Simulation #7 (EVA-3)
yesterday, in the STOC area, from 8:15 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.
