HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #3056

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 02/13/02 - 0000Z (UTC) 02/14/02

Daily Status Report as of 045/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  There was no anomalous activity.

    1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8937 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used obtain three dark frames every day to provide 
data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels.  No 
problems were encountered.

    1.3 Completed WF/PC-2 9125 (Are there Large Dust Grains in Orion's 
Proto-Planetary Disks?)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to acquire dithered PC images of six of the 
largest circumstellar disks in the Orion nebula to study the unique 
properties of dust within these systems.  No anomalous activity occurred.

    1.4 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9317 (Pure Parallel Imaging Program: 
Cycle 10)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
the default archival pure parallel program for STIS during cycle 10.  There 
were no reported problems.

    1.5 Completed STIS/MA1 9063 (Optical Counterparts of Isolated Neutron 
Stars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to test the 
understanding of both quantum chromodynamics {QCD} and quantum 
electrodynamics {QED}.  Specifically, the measurement of radii of neutron 
stars can test QCD at high density.  This is being realized through 
intensive X-ray observations of bright nearby neutron stars.  However, the 
natures of these important sources are not clear and to this end a simple 
proper motion program is proposed as a means to obtain their ages and 
potential association with star-forming regions.  One of the sources is RX 
J0720.4-3125 which has been argued to be an old magnetar --- a highly 
magnetized neutron star --- and thanks to its high count rate is already a 
choice object for X-ray missions.  Magnetars, with their extreme magnetic 
field strengths, are excellent laboratories for testing out some 
expectation of QED.  There were no reported problems.

    1.6 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 9318 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the generic target version of the 
WFPC2 Archival Pure Parallel program.  The program was used to take 
parallel images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations 
of the Parallels Working Group.  There were no reported problems.

    1.7 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor - Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at 
gain = 4 to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot 
columns.  There were no problems.

    1.8 Completed FGS/1 9168 (The Distances to AM CVn Stars)

        Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) #1 was used to determine the parallaxes 
and proper motions of the five brightest of the seven known AM CVn 
systems.  AM CVn systems are binaries where mass is transferred from a 
completely hydrogen-deficient, degenerate mass donor to a white dwarf 
primary through a helium accretion disk.  A better understanding of these 
systems is crucial for a number of reasons: (1) to study the late stages of 
binary evolution, (2) to study the effect of chemical composition on the 
physics of accretion discs, (3) to estimate their contribution to the 
Supernovae Ia rate, and (4) to estimate their contribution to the 
gravitational radiation background.  All observations completed with no 
reported problems.

    1.9 Completed STIS/MA1 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to perform 
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the primary 
means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through frequent 
monitoring of the background count rate.  The proposal completed with no 
reported anomalous activity.

    1.10 Completed STIS/CCD 9114 (SINS: The Supernova Intensive Study-- 
Cycle 10)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
closer observations of supernovae that will create the chemical history of 
the Universe, energize the interstellar gas, stiffen the spine of the 
extragalactic distance scale and provide the only evidence for an 
accelerating universe.  A violent encounter is underway between the 
fast-moving debris and the stationary inner ring.  Monitoring this 
interaction will help solve the riddles of stellar evolution posed by the 
enigmatic three-ring system of SN 1987A.  Our UV observations of Ly- Alpha 
emission reveal the present location and velocity of a remarkable reverse 
shock that provides a unique laboratory for studying fast shocks and a 
powerful tool for dissecting the structure of the vanished star.  No 
problems were encountered.

    1.11 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9319 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal, designed to 
simulate future scientific plans.  The proposal completed without incident.

    1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 8907 (Spectroscopic Flats C10)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain 
CCD flats in the spectrographic mode.  There were no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 9280 (X-Ray Imaging of GPS and CSS Quasars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to conduct 
a survey of GPS and CSS radio-loud quasars, by studying their arcsecond 
structure in the X-rays, by searching for X-ray jets, and by searching for 
signatures of intermittent AGN activity.  The proposal completed nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  8
    Successful:  8

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  6
    Successful:  6

    2.2 FHST Updates:
    Scheduled: 26
    Successful: 26

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR-1 EDAC error counter was cleared at 044/2304Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW