Hubble Space Telescope Primer for Cycle 17

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 About this Document

1.2 What's New This Cycle

1.3 Resources, Documentation and Tools

1.3.1 Phase I "Roadmap"

1.3.2 Cycle 17 Announcement Web Page

1.3.3 Cycle 17 Call for Proposals

1.3.4 Instrument Handbooks

1.3.5 The Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) and the Aladin Sky Atlas

1.3.6 Exposure Time Calculators (ETCs)

1.3.7 HST Data Archive

1.3.8 Data Reduction and Calibration

1.4 STScI Help Desk

Chapter 2: System Overview

2.1 Telescope Design and Field-of-View

2.2 Orbital Constraints

2.2.1 Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ)

2.2.2 South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA)

2.2.3 Predicted HST Position

2.3 Pointing Constraints

2.4 Orientation and Roll Constraints

2.5 Data Storage and Transmission

2.5.1 Real-time Contact Requests

2.5.2 Onboard Data Storage

Chapter 3: Telescope Performance

3.1 Optical Performance

3.2 HST Guiding Performance

3.2.1 FGS - Dual Guide Star Acquisitions

3.2.2 FGS - Single Guide Star Acquisitions

3.2.3 Gyro-Only Pointing Control

3.3 HST Observing Efficiency

Chapter 4: Cycle 17 Scientific Instruments

4.1 Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3)

4.2 Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS)

4.3 Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)

4.4 Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS)

4.5 Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS)

4.6 Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)

4.7 Additional Observing Modes

4.7.1 Imaging Polarimetry

4.7.2 Slitless Imaging Spectroscopy

4.7.3 Coronagraphy

4.7.4 Observations with Two Instruments - Parallel Observing

4.8 Instrument Comparisons

4.8.1 HST Imaging

4.8.2 Spectrographs

Chapter 5: Observing Considerations

5.1 Bright-Object Constraints

5.1.1 ACS, COS & STIS

5.1.2 FGS

5.1.3 NICMOS

5.1.4 WFC3

5.2 Target Acquisitions

5.2.1 Target Acquisition without the Ground System

5.2.2 Target Acquisition with Ground System Support

5.3 Solar System Targets

5.4 Offsets, Patterns, and Dithering

Chapter 6: Orbit Calculation for a Phase I Proposal

6.1 Overview of an Observing Program

6.1.1 General Observer (GO) Programs

6.1.2 Snapshot Programs

6.2 HST Visits

6.2.1 Defining New Visits and Optimizing Scheduling Efficiency and Flexibility

6.2.2 Instrument Specific Limitations on Visits

6.3 The Visibility Period

6.4 Acquisition Times and Instrument Overheads

6.4.1 Guide Star Acquisition Times

6.4.2 Target Acquisition Times

6.4.3 Instrument Overhead Times

6.4.4 Telescope Repositioning Overhead Times

6.5 Constructing Your Program

Chapter 7: Data Processing and the HST Data Archive

7.1 Routine Science Data Processing

7.1.1 Space Telescope Science Data Analysis System (STSDAS)

7.2 The HST Data Archive

7.2.1 StarView and Web Access to the HST Data Archive

7.3 Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA)

Appendix A: Orbit Calculation Examples

A.1 ACS

A.2 COS

A.3 FGS

A.4 NICMOS

A.5 STIS

A.6 WFC3

Appendix B: HST Mission

B.1 Servicing Missions and Instrument Complements

Appendix C: Legacy Instruments

C.1 Faint Object Camera (FOC)

C.2 Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS)

C.3 Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS)

C.4 High Speed Photometer (HSP)

C.5 Wide Field and Planetary Camera 1 (WF/PC)

C.6 Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2)

Appendix D: Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations

Appendix E: Internet Links