HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #2324 PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 03/08/99 - 0000Z (UTC) 03/09/99 Daily Status Report as of 068/0000Z 1.0 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED: 1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 7948 (CCD Dark and Bias Monitor -- Cont. to Dec. 98) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure CCD dark current and bias rates for the two supported amplifier settings {GAIN=1 and GAIN=4} in order to gather data for making superdarks and superbiases. The data will be used to track the growth of hot pixels on the CCD in general and within the various target acquisition apertures specifically. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.2 Completed Four 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 dark 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. 1.3 Completed WF/PC-2 7384 (Probing the Fine-Scale Structure and Colors of Interstellar "Cirrus" Clouds) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the nebula NEB-162539 in order to probe the fine-scale structure and colors of interstellar "cirrus" clouds. The ubiquitous nature of Galactic "cirrus" clouds make them both: {1} accessible targets for the study of the properties of interstellar dust grains, and {2} sources of confusion in investigations of distant objects {e.g. galaxies, clusters of galaxies} at low surface brightness levels. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.4 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 8091 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make high galactic latitude, non-scripted, parallel observations. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were noted. 1.5 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8053 (WF/PC-2 Cycle-7 Earth Flats -- Part II) The WF/PC-2 was used to take Earth flat calibration images. This proposal obtains sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for the WF/PC-2 filter set. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.6 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 7713 (WF/P-2 Cycle 7 Supplemental Darks pt3/3) The WF/PC-2 was used to make supplemental dark calibration images. This dark calibration program obtains three dark frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were noted. 1.7 Completed WF/PC-2 7293 (Star Formation, Mass Distribution and Dark Matter in Galaxies at Z ~ 0.6) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the star formation, mass distribution and dark matter in galaxy CL0317+152. The aim of this proposal is twofold: 1} to determine the strength and spatial distribution of star formation for galaxies in a distant clusters, and 2} to measure the rotation curves of a selected subsample of these galaxies, in order to determine their mass distribution and dark matter properties. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 6772 (Dust Properties in the Beta Pictoris) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the edge-on dust disk around HD39060 (a.k.a., Beta Pictorius). Multicolor imaging polarimetry is an excellent diagnostic of dust grain properties and scattering geometries. The observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported. 1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 6967 (Blue Continuum Snapshots of 3CR Radio - Continued Galaxies) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the radio galaxy 3C130.0. Radio galaxies are an important class of extragalactic objects: they represent one of the most energetic astrophysical phenomena and they may be used as probes of their environments. They are unique probes of the early Universe. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.10 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1/MA2 7673 (STIS MAMA Sensitivity and Focus Monitor) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD/MA1/MA2) was used to make observations of standard star AGK+81D266 in order to perform a MAMA sensitivity and focus monitoring program. This is to monitor sensitivity of each MAMA grating mode to detect any change due to contamination or other causes. A wavelength calibration image was also taken. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted. 1.11 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1 7950 (Cycle 7 MAMA Dark Measurements) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to make a dark calibration image. This is to establish if the detectors are performing nominally, that no internal movement of the MCP has taken place, and establish dark level in orbit for a given operating temperature. These darks will be used in later image reduction and also trended over instrument life time as indicators of detector degradation or damage. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 7386 (A Snapshot Survey of Nova Shells) The WF/PC-2 was used to make observational images of the super nova shell V2264-Orp in order to detect and measure its expanding gaseous shell. These observations will trace the distribution of hot and cool gas in the nova shells, and show their degree of inhomogeneity on both large and small scales. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were noted. 1.13 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD/MA1 7432 (Morphological and Spectral Evolution of Galaxies) The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA1) were used to make observations to study the morphological and spectral evolution of the galaxies 3C69.1 and 3C89.2. A library of ultraviolet images of normal galaxies at low redshifts is essential to our understanding of the properties and evolution of the high redshift universe. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were reported. 1.14 Completed 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. 2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY 2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions: Scheduled Acquisitions : 9 Successful : 9 Scheduled Reacquisitions : 9 Successful : 9 2.2 FHST Updates: Scheduled : 17 Successful : 17 2.3 Operations Notes: After Voltage Sensing Circuits (VSCs) 1 - 6 were systematically disabled last Friday (at 064/1308Z - 064/1316Z) in an attempt to reshunt additional voltage dropping diodes to correct an imbalance between batteries 5 and 6 and batteries 1 through 4, the anomalous behavior continued. The Back Up Shunts for Sections 5 and 6 were enabled at 064/1816Z; however, the anomalous behavior remains. Using ROP SR-1, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times. The STIS flight software error counter was reset twice, at 067/1911Z and at 068/0308Z, using ROP NS-12. The Gyro-3 drift rate bias trend shows a decrease since the last report. The rate of change for the latest seven-day interval is 2.43 arcseconds/hour/day (was 6.88). This trend meets the limit of 10.8 arcseconds/hour/day; however, analysis indicates the trend is dominated by a step shift over days 063-065. Gyro-3 is not considered sufficiently stable to recommend return to the normal four-gyro control loop at this time. 3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations. /DMH