Previous WFPC2 Advisories
IMPORTANT! 11/07/2008 - In preparation for the decommissioning of WFPC2, the entire WFPC2 archive is currently being reprocessed.
Details are presented on the WFPC2 Reprocessing page; the status of the reprocessing effort is given
in the Archive Reprocessing Page. An FAQ
page on WFPC2 reprocessing is also provided.
IMPORTANT! - Multidrizzled WFPC2 Images from MAST
10/14/2008 - A new geometric distortion table, sad1946fu_idc.fits, is available for ftp on the
CDBS WFPC2 reference file web page. This file
supersedes the geometric distortion table announced on 8/07/2008.
9/18/2008 - The new WFPC2 Instrument Handbook
has been released.
9/18/2008 - A new WFPC2 ISR outlining an
algorithm designed to correct the horizontal streaks or bias jumps seen in WFPC2 data, particularly in WF4, has
been posted.
8/07/2008 - A new geometric distortion table, s8719359u_idc.fits, is available for ftp on the
CDBS WFPC2 reference file web page.
11/01/2007 - WFPC2 Phase II Observation Strategies.
11/01/2007 - Documentation on the APT Bright Object Tool for WFPC2 observations.
5/02/2007: Information on the WF4 CCD Anomaly.
4/18/2007: A new WFPC2 ISR outlining the results of the recent temperature
reduction to the amplifier electronics and the effect on the WF4 anomaly.
1/31/2007: Quick Start Guide for ACS Proposers Changing to WFPC2.
10/13/2006: The Cycle 16 Update to the WFPC2 Instrument Handbook is now online!
10/01/2006: The WFPC2 Cycle 15+16 Calibration Plan has been issued.
2005 Calibration Workshop Proceedings released,
including a paper on WFPC2 status (PDF)
09/20/2005: Important WFPC2 Closeout Information.
07/15/2005: SYNPHOT Data User's Guide has been released.
A new WFPC2 Memo has been issued regarding
WFPC2 Filter Wavelengths in the HST Archive.
Due to discrepancies between the "Central Wavelength" and other filter quantities, it has
been decided to replace the use of "Central Wavelength" with the use of "Pivot Wavelength" instead.
For details please follow the link.
A new paper on An Improved Distortion Solution for HST's WFPC2
by Jay Anderson and Ivan King is available as a preprint (PostScript, 4.4MB). The paper should appear in
the Jan 2003 version of the PASP. There is also a text file containing a
Fortran routine
that implements the distortion solution.
A new edition of the WFPC2 Data Analysis Tutorial, a step-by-step guide to reducing WFPC2 data (Version 3.0 - July 2002)
is available in PostScript (3.8 MBytes)
and PDF (1.0 MBytes)!
Outsourcing Candidates for WFPC2.
16 May 2001: Do not run UCHCOORD on new data retrieved through
OTFR. This is no longer necessary, as OTFR now updates the astrometric
information automatically. See this STAN (May 2001) for details.
Important note for dither
package users who recently installed STSDAS V2.3.
Complete information on the WFPC2 Shutter Anomaly (PDF, 4.8 MB).
Older updates are still available.