HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2570

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 02/29/00 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/01/00

Daily Status Report as of 061/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8460 (Cycle 8 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 observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 8439 (Bias Monitor-Part 2 C8)

        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.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.3 Completed Six Sets of STIS/CCD 8202 (Bright Quasar Close Lensing 
Search)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make 
observations of HCLQ0949-0, HCLQ0949-0, HCLQ1105+4, HCLQ0857+3, HCLQ1136+3, 
and HCLQ0511-4 as part of a second generation survey to search for bright 
lensing quasars.  With the restored PSF, new images will be considerably 
more sensitive to the presence of both close separation and faint lens 
components, and because STIS reaches two magnitudes fainter the PC, the new 
snapshot images will have much greater dynamic range.  As described in 
HSTAR 7525 and yesterday's report, the acquisition for the first iteration 
of this proposal failed, affecting three observations.  Otherwise, the 
observations were executed as scheduled, and no further anomalies were noted.

    1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 8251 (The Second-Parameter Effect in Metal- Rich, 
Globular Clusters: A Snapshot Study of NGC 6441)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the newly- discovered hot 
horizontal branch (HB) populations in the metal-rich globular cluster (GC) 
NGC 6441 providing an unique opportunity for unraveling the 
second-parameter effect.  While it has long been known that at least one 
parameter besides the metallicity, Fe/H, determines the HB morphology of 
GCs, our ignorance as to the nature of this second parameter {or 
parameters} has been a major stumbling block in understanding the formation 
history and age of the GC system.  The proposal completed nominally with no 
reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8437 (Dark Monitor-Part 2 C8)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.6 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8421 (Spectroscopic Sensitivity for 
(MAMA and) CCD)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
basic sensitivity measurement for some supported (MAMA and) CCD 
spectroscopic modes.  Sensitivity measurements are done for a few primary 
tilts of the gratings.  The proposal completed nominally, with no reported 
problems.

    1.7 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8090 (POMS Test Proposal: WF-II 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used in the parallel mode to make some low galactic 
latitude archive observations.  The program will be used to take parallel 
images of random areas of the sky.  The observations were executed as 
scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.8 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.

    1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8322 (The Distance to NGC 2841: Improving the TF 
Calibration and Definitively Testing MOND)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to measure a distance to the spiral galaxy NGC 
2841 using Cepheid variables.  NGC 2841 provides a unique opportunity to 
simultaneously probe three separate phenomenon in extragalactic astronomy: 
1} It will provide the highest rotational velocity data point for the 
Cepheid based calibration of the I-band Tully-Fisher relation and thus will 
firmly determine if this relation experiences curvature or remains linear 
all the way out to high rotational velocities. 2} It has hosted two SN Ia 
events; both of which have good photometry {1957A and 1972R}- this 
significantly adds to the number of calibrators for the SN Ia distance 
scale; 3} If its distance can be shown to be significantly less than 19.5 
MPC, then MOND can be definitively ruled out because NGC 2841 will require 
a value of a_o substantially in excess of the empirically determined 
"universal" value.   The observations completed nominally.

    1.10 Completed STIS/MA2 8429 (Cycle 8 Plate Scale Verification)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to conduct 
a Cycle-8 plate scale calibration verification. The calibration was 
completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were reported.

    1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 8338 (The Evolution of the Host Galaxies of 
Powerful Radio Sources)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the host galaxy of the 
powerful radio source known as MRC0949-20.  A combined data set of radio 
galaxies and quasars will allow powerful tests of the relationship between 
radio galaxies and quasars and the evolution of the host galaxies of 
powerful radio sources over a wide range of look-back times.  The 
observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.12 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8549 (POMS Test Proposal: 
Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation I)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low 
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS 
test proposal.  The observations were completed as planned, and no 
anomalies were reported.

    1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 8031 (Gaseous Disks in Galactic Nuclei)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the gaseous disk in 
galactic disk of galaxy NGC-4636.  Follow-up long-slit medium resolution 
STIS spectroscopy along the principle axis of the nuclear gas disk will 
then be used to map the gas kinematics.  The observations were executed as 
scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.14 Completed WF/PC-2 8216 (T Tauri Star Snapshot Survey II. 
Completing the CTTs Sample)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the T-Tauri class star 
known as SZ-73 as part of Snapshot Survey II.  This database will be of 
fundamental importance to understanding the nature of planet-forming 
environments and their frequency in the galaxy.  The observations were 
executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.15 Completed STIS/CCD 8299 (Mapping the Dynamics of the Quasar 3C 48)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to 
determine the relation between the properties of the radio source and those 
of the {optical} line-emitting gas in quasars and radio galaxies.  The 
observations completed with no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  7
Successful:  7

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 26
Successful: 26

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The period of Servicing Mission Observatory Verification (SMOV) 
continues.

        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared once.

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 060/1309Z.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of SMOV and normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW