HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2581

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 03/15/00 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/16/00

Daily Status Report as of 076/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Three 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 FGS 8525 (FGS-2R Guider Commissioning)

        FGS-2R was used to verify the acquisition logic for the 
newly-replace FGS, including K factors, alignment, photometric calibration 
and the ability to lock on both bright and faint guide stars.  There were 
no reported problems.

    1.4  Completed Two 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.

    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8233 (UV Imaging of Optical Jets: A New 
Window on the Physics of Jets)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was 
used to observe extragalactic radio jets which are highly collimated beams 
of high energy particles and magnetic fields issuing forth at relativistic 
speeds from sub-parsec scale regions, extending hundreds of kpc through 
interstellar and intergalactic space.  They are unique in their scope, 
power, and size. The jets affect their host galaxies and environments, 
through kinetic energy output and through deposition of cosmic rays and 
magnetic fields into interstellar and intergalactic space.  Despite years 
of study, fundamental jet parameters such as the magnetic field strength, 
particle density, jet configuration, bulk Lorentz factor, and the nature of 
particle acceleration in the flow remain unknown.  The observations 
completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.6 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8436 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII Backup 
Parallel Archive Proposal II)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make archive observations parallel to the 
prime science observations as part of a POMS test proposal.  This is a POMS 
test proposal designed to simulate scientific plans.  The observations were 
completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.

    1.7 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA2 8426 (Cycle 8 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) 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.

    1.8 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 8161 (Boron in the Magellanic Clouds: A 
Novel Test of Light Element Formation)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to 
make observations of the star HD34078 which is located in the Large 
Magellanic Cloud is order to study light element formation in that 
region.  Observations of boron abundances in the Magellanic Clouds will 
provide a novel test of the assertion that boron is produced primarily 
through spallation reactions between cosmic rays and ambient interstellar 
nuclei.  A wavelength calibration image was also taken.  The observations 
were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.

    1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8411 (STIS CCD Spectroscopic Flats C-8)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain 
CCD flats in the spectroscopic mode.  The observations were completed as 
scheduled, and no anomalies were reported.

    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8328 (HST Astrometry to Gauge the Distance of 
PSR0833-45 {VELA} and PSR0656+14)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to make astrometric observations of the 
reference star STAR-0825 in order study the distance of PSR0833-45 {VELA} 
and PSR0656+14.  High angular resolution, coupled with sensitivity, makes 
HST the ideal instrument to measure tiny displacements of faint objects, 
such as those due to proper motions and annual parallaxes of Isolated 
Neutron Stars.  The observations were executed as scheduled, and no 
anomalies were noted.

    1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 8184 (The Origin of cD Envelopes)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe cD galaxies which are known to 
known to be present in approximately 20 percent of all galaxy 
clusters.  Located at the dynamical centers of their host cluster or 
subcluster, these supergiant elliptical galaxies show extended, diffuse 
stellar envelopes which trace the gravitational potential of the 
surrounding cluster.  The observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.12 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8796 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS 
Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation IV)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in the 
parallel mode to make some low galactic latitude archive observations.  The 
observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8333 (Pox 186: A Nearby Protogalaxy?)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to 
investigate a blue compact dwarf galaxy {BCDG}, Pox 186.  BCDGs typically 
consist of clusters of early-type stars embedded in older, evolved stellar 
populations similar in size and shape to normal dwarf 
ellipticals.  However, deep ground-based CCD images of this BCDG reveal a 
very compact {~ 5" diameter} structure with no evidence of an underlying 
older population.  Optical spectroscopy of this object also indicates that 
a large number of Wolf-Rayet stars are present, which implies that a burst 
of star formation must have occurred very recently {<=sssim 10^7 years 
ago}.  It has thus been suggested that Pox 186 is a protogalaxy, forming 
its very first generation of stars.  The observations completed with no 
reported anomalies.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  5
Successful:  5

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 13
Successful: 13

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        FGS proposal 8525 (see 1.3 for a partial description) was run 
yesterday, and again today.  From yesterday's results, it was determined 
that FGS-2R is a fully functional guider.  Today's results were similar: 
all acquisitions were successful in combination with both FGS-1R and FGS-3.

        A TTR was written for a mode 1 configuration on TDRS-W which 
initially did not lock up.  As a result, there was a data loss from 
075/190514Z until 075/190757Z.  A subsequent retry was successful.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW