HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #1953 PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 08/29/97 - 0000Z (UTC) 09/02/97 Daily Status Report as of 245/0000Z 1.0 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED: 1.1 Completed Two Sets of NIC/2 7420 (A Near-Infrared Search for Very Low Mass Companions to Stars Within 10 Parsecs of the Sun) The Near Infrared Camera (Camera Two) was used to make searching observations for very low mass companions to variable stars HD203608, LHS223, LHS531 and HD1581. This star is known to be within 10 parsecs of the Sun. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.2 Completed Seven Sets of WF/PC-2 7621 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 7 Supplemental Darks PT1/3) The WF/PC-2 was used to make supplemental dark calibration images. This set of calibrations is intended to obtain three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.3 Completed Five Sets of NIC/1/2/3 7412 (An HST/NICMOS Search for Young Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make observations taken in parallel with the prime science observations to be part of a survey to look for large planets and/or small brown dwarf stars which are in orbit around T-Tauri class stars RXJ11498-7, RXJ09029-7, RJX10053-7, RXJ1158-7 and RXJ12436-7. At an age of 2 to 20 million years these low-mass companions will be considerably brighter than more evolved brown dwarfs or giant planets orbiting main-sequence stars, and hence will be much easier to detect. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were noted. 1.4 Completed Eleven Sets of STIS/CCD 7781 (STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Archive Proposal - Full Orbit) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used for a non-scripted parallel archive proposal (one full orbit). No details were given. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.5 Completed Twelve Sets of WF/PC-2 7786 (Pure Parallel Archive Survey - Continuation) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations as part of an archival survey program in which the images were taken in parallel with the prime science observations. These WF/PC-2 parallel observations were obtained in the ultraviolet in a search for interesting objects. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.6 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 7782 (STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Archive Proposal - Half Orbit) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used for a non-scripted parallel archive proposal (one-half orbit). The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.7 Completed Eight Sets of STIS/CCD 7783 (STIS) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make observations taken in parallel with the prime science. The observations were completed , and no problems were reported. 1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 6460 (Where are the Dozens of Predicted Cataclysmic Variables in Globular Clusters?) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the globular cluster NGC-6093 in order to search for predicted cataclysmic variables. WF/PC-2 imaging of globular cluster cores provides us with a unique opportunity to detect erupting cataclysmic variables because they should be relatively common in the core region. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.9 Completed Four Sets of NIC/1/2/3 7729 (NICMOS Short One Orbit Parallel) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two, and Three) was used to obtain "JHK" imaging of sky regions while another instrument was prime. These observations were part of the short NICMOS one-orbit parallel program. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.10 Completed Seven Sets of NIC/1/2/3 7726 (NICMOS One Orbit Parallel) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make a one orbit parallel calibration observations. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.11 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 7276 (Synoptic Monitoring of Seasonal Phenomena on Mars) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make seasonal ultraviolet imaging of the planet Mars. This season includes the formation of the north polar cap and hood system, a process which is not well documented; the start of the classic dust storm season on Mars, when large dust storms have often occurred; and an active cycle of small dust storms in Hellas. These observations will complete a period of continuous monitoring of Mars which commenced in Cycle 6. A guide star acquisition loss-of-lock occured during a T3 slews at 241/1411Z. HSTAR 6161 was written. No other problems were reported. 1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 6514 (The Horizontal Branch of the M31 Dwarf Spheroidal Companion And II) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the Andromeda Galaxy (a.k.a., M-31) and its dwarf sphereoid companion galaxy Andromeda II (a.k.a., M-32). The dwarf spheroidal companions to the Galaxy show a large diversity in their horizontal branch (Hbs) morphologies, with many possessing redder Hbs than would be expected from their metal abundances. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.13 Completed Three Sets of NIC/1/2 7690 (NICMOS Pointed Super Flats) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras 1 and 2) was used to make super flat field calibration observations. The observations will be used to build high signal/noise ratio NICMOS flat fields for the different filters. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.14 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 6802 (Cosmology With the Medium Deep Survey) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations taken in parallel with the prime science observations as part of the Medium Deep Sky Survey. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no problems were reported. 1.15 Completed FOC/96 6702 (Multicolor Imaging Polarimetry of Obscured Seyfert 2 Nuclei) The Faint Object Camera (f/96) was used to make multi-color imaging observations of the active galactic nuclei of Seyfert galaxy Mark-477 in order to measure its polarized flux. An internal flat and a dark calibration image were also taken. The observations wereexecuted as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.16 Completed WF/PC-2 6559 (An Imaging Study of Asteroids) The WF/PC-2 was used to make multi-color observations of the main belt asteroid 1220-CROCU. This asteroid will reach perigee during Cycle 6. The images will be searched for companions. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.17 Completed NIC/1/2/3 7447 (The Cosmological Evolution of Quasar Host Galaxies) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make observations of galaxy SGP4-39 as part of a survey to study the cosmological evolution of galaxies which host quasars. Other point spread function observations were taken to test the calibration of the cameras. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.18 Completed Two Sets of NIC/1 7214 (Variability of Galactic Center Sources) The Near Infrared Camera (Camera One) was used to make observations of the variability of the galactic center object S452-F. A broad range of accretion disk models with black hole masses appropriate to the Galactic Center {0.5-3.0 million solar masses} implies variability at the 2-25% level on time scales as short as 10 minutes. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.19 Completed FGS 6486 (Orbits of Pre-Main Sequence Binaries) The FGSs were used in the TRANS mode to make astrometric observations of the per-main sequence, binary star system V853-OPH in order to help compute its orbital parameters. The observations will be used to make orbital maps of T-Tauri class stars. From these orbital parameters they will be able to derive the first reliable mass measurements for low mass pre-main sequence stars. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were reported. 1.20 Completed WF/PC-2 6535 (Tight Clusters of Newly Born Massive Stars in Compact H2 Regions of the Magellanic Clouds) The WF/PC-2 was used to make high spatial resolution imaging observations of the newly born massive stars in the tight cluster SMC-N88 which is located in a tight H2 region in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These are the youngest massive stars accessible to direct observations at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.21 Completed STIS/CCD 7138 (Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Bright Arcs Around the Most Luminous X-Ray Cluster RXJ 1347.5-1145) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make observations of the arcs surrounding the cluster RXJ1347.5B which is the brightest know X-ray cluster. The cluster itself is at a redshift of 0.451 and there are two bright arcs symmetrically situated at about 35 arcseconds from the brightest cluster member. The observations were completed as planned and no problems were reported. 1.22 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 7620 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 7 Standard Darks) The WF/PC-2 was used to make a series of Cycle 7 standard dark calibration images. This calibration program obtains dark frames every week in order to provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.23 Completed STIS/MA2 7644 (STIS NUV-MAMA Monitoring Flats) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to obtain near ultraviolet-MAMA flat-field observations for the construction of bi-monthly delta-flats. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.24 Completed WF/PC-2 6437 (Sins: Supernova Intensive Study - Cycle 6) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the supernova SN1996X and its circumstellar matter. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were noted. 1.25 Completed STIS/MA1 7728 (STIS FUV-MAMA Monitoring Flats) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used for the STIS MAMA flat monitoring program. This program will obtain far-ultraviolet-MAMA flat-field observations for the construction of delta-flats for select modes. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.26 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA2 7604 (Cycle 7 MAMA Dark Measurements) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to make MAMA dark measurements. These darks will be used in later image reductions and also trended over the instrument's life time as an indicator of the detector's degradation or damage. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were reported. 1.27 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1 7722 (Lamp Flux Measurements) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) was used to make lamp flux calibration measurements to determine the optimal configuration for obtaining science-contemporaneous wavecals. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.28 Completed STIS/CCD 7659 (Daily Darks to Update Acquisition Bad Pixel Table) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make dark calibration images in order to update the acquisition bad pixel table. Daily hot pixel lists can also be used for science data analysis. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.29 Completed STIS/CCD 7672 (STIS CCD Sensitivity Monitor) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make observations of standard star AGK+81D266 in order to monitor the sensitivity of each CCD grating mode to detect any change due to contamination or other causes. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.30 Completed Two Sets of NIC/1/2 7692 (Polarizers Calibration) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One and Two) was used to make observations of the standard stars BD32-3739 and HD64299 as part of a polarization calibration. The polarization and position angle of polarization are measured {at the same ORIENT} for two standard polarized point sources and one extended polarized sources of known J and H band polarization. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were noted. 1.31 Completed NIC/2 7634 (CCD Flat-Field Stability and Cosmetic Defect Fraction) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to investigate and monitor the STIS CCD imaging flat-field stability and cosmetic defects over monthly periods though out Cycle 7. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.32 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 6431 (Determination of the Extragalactric Distance Scale) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the galaxies NGC-1326 and NGC-1425 to be used in measuring the periods of Cepheid variable stars within these galaxies. This will allow for a more accurate estimate of the distances to these galaxies through the period-luminosity relation for the Cepheid stars. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: 2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions: Scheduled Acquisitions : 25 Successful : 25 Scheduled Reacquisitions : 21 Successful : 21 A guide star acquisition loss-of-lock occured during a T3 slew at 241/1411Z. HSTAR 6161 was written. (See observationial note 1.11) 2.2 FHST Updates: Scheduled : 50 Successful : 50 2.3 Operations Notes: The Eclipse Management was executed dung partial eclipse of the sun which occurred over Australia and New Zealand. HST passed through the moon's shadow twice at 224/2203Z and 245/0006Z with out incident. The Battery ROC and DF-224 CCSs failure checks were disabled at 244/1904Z and re-enabled at 245/0024Z. All went as planned. 3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations. /DMH