HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2718

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 09/28/00 - 0000Z (UTC) 09/29/00

Daily Status Report as of 273/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 8647 (Black Hole Accretion Outbursts In 
Soft X- Ray Transients)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD, MA1 and MA2) was 
used to make UV observations of soft X-ray transient {SXT} XTE-J1118. This 
is part of an extensive multiwavelength target of opportunity campaign to 
monitor newly discovered SXTs in outburst and throughout the subsequent 
decline.  Recent work establishes that a high proportion of SXTs harbor 
black holes, so these observations provide an unrivalled opportunity to 
obtain high quality data from an accreting black hole.  UV data is a 
keystone of this multiwavelength campaign because the disk regions of 
interest radiate predominantly in the UV.  Emission lines will give the 
ability to probe the kinematics of the inner disk region.  The relative 
strengths of the reprocessed X-ray flux emitted in the UV will be examined, 
and the UV flux generated by viscous heating in the accretion 
flow.  Multiwavelength observations will probe the physics of the accretion 
flow throughout the outburst.  The observations will yield detailed 
quantitative tests of the models for SXT outbursts.  The new STIS/MAMA 
capability to perform UV spectroscopy with 125 microsecond time resolution 
will be exploited.  A proven HST/RXTE echo-mapping experiment will measure 
the size of the reprocessing regions in the accretion disk, and thus probe 
morphology changes as the decline proceeds.  It is unknown what rapid UV 
variability may be found.  Recent RXTE discoveries suggest this may prove a 
rich source of information on the dynamics close to the event horizon.  The 
observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.2 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.

    1.3 Completed STIS/CCD 8648 (SINS: The Supernova Intensive Study-- Cycle 9)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
supernovae which explode to create the chemical history of the Universe and 
energize the interstellar gas.  The proposal completed with no reported 
problems.

    1.4 Completed STIS/CCD 8838 (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.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 8776 (Absolute Proper Motions of Nearby Dwarf 
Spheroidal Galaxies)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
precise absolute proper motions for four dwarf spheroidal satellites of the 
Milky Way using spectroscopically-confirmed background QSOs to define a 
zero- velocity reference frame.  No anomalous activity was reported.

    1.6 Completed 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.

    1.7 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8663 (Survey of SMC Planetary 
Nebulae: Nebular and Stellar Evolution in a Low- Metallicity Environment)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to survey 
of SMC planetary nebulae {PNe} in order to study the co-evolution of the 
nebulae and their central stars, in an environment that is chemically very 
metal poor.  We will obtain STIS imaging and medium-resolution slitless 
spectroscopy that will yield line fluxes and nebular morphologies in 
important emission lines, plus magnitudes of the central stars.  From these 
data we will gather a harvest of information: the nebular size, morphology, 
ionization structure, density, and mass; and the central star temperature, 
luminosity, and mass.  The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.

    1.8 Completed WF/PC -2 8177 (Investigating Type Ia Supernovae and an 
Accelerating Universe)

        The WF/ P C-2 was used to obtain rest frame U and B photometry for 
four z~ 0.85 Supernova (SN) Ia.  These observations will be coupled to 
ground-based rest frame V photometry and spectra.  These data, combined 
with previous samples, will extend the D_L vs. z diagram for SN Ia to 
z~0.85, and allow us to discriminate the redshift dependence of supernova 
magnitudes in an accelerating Universe from that expected to result from 
systematic effects such as age of the stellar population, chemical 
evolution, a drift in the properties of dust, and weak gravitational 
lensing.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed STIS/CCD 8700 (A STIS Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey of 
3CR Radio Galaxies : The Nature of the Unresolved Nuclei)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
STIS snapshot long-slit spectroscopy of these nuclei over 2900- 10300 AA to 
classify them {QSO, NLRG, BLRG, BL Lac, ldots} and establish their AGN 
characteristics down to the lowest nuclear luminosities, while still within 
powerful 3C radio galaxies.  The primary goals are : {1} to test 
unification schemes by identifying previously undetected signatures of 
low-level AGN/QSO activity in their spectra in the form of weak, broad 
emission lines, featureless continua, and UV excess, {2} to constrain the 
FR I/BL Lac connection by measuring the relative contribution of thermal 
{starburst}, non-thermal {optical synchrotron}, and line emission, and {3} 
to perform line and continuum diagnostics to determine the dominant 
ionization mechanisms in the circumnuclear regions {tenths of arcseconds} 
and the role of dust extinction in the NLRGs and BLRGs in the form of 
geometrically thick or thin tori and foreground dust.  The proposal 
completed as planned, with no reported anomalies.

    1.10 Completed STIS/CCD 8562 (Probing the Large Scale Structure: Cosmic 
Shear Observations) HST

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to probe 
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies, looking at the 
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter 
distribution.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.11 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 7437 (Understanding High-Redshift and 
Starburst Galaxies: A UV Spectroscopic Survey of O-Stars in the SMC)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was  used to 
make ultraviolet spectrographic observations of galaxy NGC-346.  The data 
from this survey, of importance in many areas of astrophysics, will 
immediately be made public as no proprietary period is requested.  A 
wavelength calibration image was also taken.  The observations were 
executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

    1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 8059 (POMS Test Proposal: Targeted Parallel 
Archive Proposal)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the parallel opportunities 
available in the neighborhood of bright galaxies are treated in a slightly 
different way from the normal pure parallels.  Local Group galaxies offer 
the opportunity for a closer look at young stellar 
populations.  Narrow-band images in F656N can be used both to identify 
young stars via their emission lines, and to map the gas distribution in 
star-forming regions.  The observations completed nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 7
Successful: 7

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 2
Successful: 2

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 15
Successful: 15

    2.3 Operations Notes:

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

        Completed three line outage Recorder dumps to recover 32k 
engineering data for the period 270/1609Z to 270/1800Z.

        The STIS MCE-1 reset at 272/233722Z.  The STIS flight software 
error counter was reset at 273/0105Z.  MAMA-1 will be recovered via normal 
SMS commanding.

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped at 273/0204Z per ROP NS-3.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        A target of opportunity for next week's operations is currently 
being planned.

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW