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The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) is a fourth-generation instrument to be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 2008 servicing mission. COS is designed to perform high sensitivity, moderate- and low-resolution spectroscopy of astronomical objects in the 1150-3200 Å wavelength range. COS will significantly enhance the spectroscopic capabilities of HST at ultraviolet wavelengths, and will provide observers with unparalleled opportunities for observing faint sources of ultraviolet light.

The primary science objectives of the mission are the study of the origins of large scale structure in the Universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, the origin of stellar and planetary systems, and the cold interstellar medium.

More information and documentation on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph can be found at CASA, the University of Colorado's Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Ball Aerospace, and the Experimental Astrophysics Group at the University of California - Berkeley.


COS News

Notice to COS Users about FP-POS
An error has been found in the COS Instrument Handbook about the direction of spectral shifts when the FP-POS Optional Parameter is employed. This error should only concern observers who devise their own FP-POS sequences or use individual FP-POS values to place spectral features at specific locations on a detector. The Handbook states that increasing FP-POS number (FP-POS=1, 2, 3, 4) moves the spectral range on the detector to longer wavelengths. The direction is opposite to this. An FP-POS=1 step shifts the central wavelength to a larger value, and FP-POS=4 to a smaller one. Thus for FP-POS=AUTO, the observer will obtain two exposures centered at longer wavelengths (FP-POS=1, 2), one at shorter (FP-POS=4), and one at the nominal central wavelength (FP-POS=3). Note that the overhead timing of mechanism motions as given in Table 9-4 does not change. Increasing FP-POS position requires 3 seconds of overhead, while moving to smaller FP-POS positions takes 70 seconds. Observers who may be affected by the error in sign convention should contact their PCs and resubmit their Phase II proposals.

New ETC Release Notes (June 27, 2008)
Global screening limit for Imaging and Imaging Target Acquisition ETCs.

ETC 17.2 updates and pending work (June 02, 2008)

New ETC Release Notes (May 27, 2008)
Known issues and features.


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