HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #1976 PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 10/02/97 - 0000Z (UTC) 10/03/97 Daily Status Report as of 276/0000Z 1.0 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED: 1.1 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2/WF/PC-2 7515 (UV-Optical Spectra and Imagery of the Bubble Galaxy NGC 7635) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD/MA2) and the WF/PC-2 were used to acquire UV-optical STIS spectra and WFPC2 imagery of the wind-blown Bubble Nebula NGC 7635. The nebula's nearly spherical shell is the result of a recent {< 10^6 years} stellar mass-loss event and is the best young, clearly observed bubble available for study. The ionization front at the rim of the bubble will be examined, and the extent to which it is shock-driven and the scale of the photoevaporative flow off the face of the molecular cloud will be determined. The observations were completed as scheduled, with no reported problems. 1.2 Completed Four Sets of NIC/1/2/3 7596 (NICMOS MULTIACCUM Dark Characterization) The Near-Infrared Camera Multi-Object Spectrograph (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make a NICMOS MULTIACCUM dark characterization. The purpose of this proposal is to monitor the darks using three different MULTIACCUM sequences. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.3 Completed Three 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. 1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 6858 (Imagery of a Pulsar Wind Nebula) The WF/PC-2 was used to study the emission from the core of the unusual nebula CTB 80 which arises behind shocks which are being driven by the pressure of the confined wind from a 40 ms pulsar. The observation completed as planned, with no reported anomalies. 1.5 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD 7601 (CCD Dark and Bias Monitor) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to conduct bias and dark monitoring. Also, observations were made to track the growth of hot pixels on the CCD in general and within the various target acquisition apertures specifically. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.6 Completed Six Sets of NIC/1/2/3 7726 (NICMOS One Orbit Parallel) The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make one orbit parallel calibration observations. The third and fourth iterations of this proposal were affected by the MCE-2 reset described in 2.3. Otherwise, the observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.7 Completed Four 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). The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 7625 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 7 Earth Flats) The WF/PC-2 was used to make a series of Earth flat calibration images. These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.9 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 7783 (STIS Parallel Science) 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. 1.10 Completed NIC/2 7330 (The Fueling of Active Nucleii: A NICMOS Snapshot Survey) The Near Infrared Camera (Camera Two) was used to probe the dark matter distribution of NGC-3032 far from the center by observing intervening absorption from the MgII doublet (lambda 2800) in the spectrum of one background QSO located in a geometrically optimal position. HST observations are required because this feature is in a wavelength range not accessible from the ground, and the QSO magnitudes and expected strength of absorption make IUE observations unfeasible. The proposal completed as expected with no anomalies. 1.11 Completed NIC/2 7331 (Near-IR Properties of the Bulges of Spiral Galaxies) The Near Infrared Camera (Camera Two) was used to make infrared observations of the bulge in spiral galaxy NGC-2903. Near-IR data at HST resolution are essential for correcting for the effect of dust and will enable us to derive robust nuclear properties for the sample. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.12 Completed FGS 6479 (Masses of Low Luminosity Hyades Cluster Members) The FGSs were used to make astrometric observations of low luminosity star VA43 which is a member to the Hyades Cluster. This cluster, owing to its nearness, richness, and young age, occupies a pivotal role in the studies of star formation and stellar populations. The observations were executed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.13 Completed Three 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 guide star acquisition failure mentioned in 2.1, affected the second iteration of this proposal. Otherwise, the observations executed as scheduled, and no further anomalies were noted. 1.14 Completed WF/PC-2/NIC/1/2 7323 (The True Three-dimensional Structure of the Eta-Carinea Nebula) The WF/PC-2 and the Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One and Two) were used to trace independently the spatial distribution of the dust, of the ionized gas and of the neutral material in the Eta-Carinae nebula. The guide star acquisition failure mentioned in 2.1, occurred at the beginning of this five-and-one-half hour proposal. No further problems were reported. 1.15 Completed 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. 1.16 Completed 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. 2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY: 2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions: Scheduled Acquisitions : 8 Successful : 7 As documented in HSTAR 6182, the acquisition at 275/1950Z failed, with the search radius limit being exceeded, as a result of the FHST failures mentioned in 2.2. Proposals described in 1.13 and 1.14 were affected. Scheduled Reacquisitions : 8 Successful : 8 2.2 FHST Updates: Scheduled : 17 Successful : 15 Full maneuver updates at 275/1941Z and 275/1945Z failed. HSTAR 6182 was written to describe this and relalted problems. 2.3 Operations Notes: At 275/121424Z, while the HST was outside an SAA event, the STIS MCE-2 (MAMA2) was reset autonomously. The MAMA2 high voltage was off at the time of the reset. The MAMA2 recovery (MCE-2) was completed via operations request at 275/1422Z. The proposal described in 1.6 was affected. A TTR and HSTAR 6181 were written to document questionable data quality experienced via TDRS-East for the periods 275/0520Z-0607Z and 275/1421Z-1438Z. During the second event WSGT performed a failover, which cleared the problem. The questionable data was restored via a subsequent SSR playback. 3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations. /DMH