About this Article

Mitchell Revalski (mrevalski[at]stsci.edu)

Published March 17, 2026

Navigating the vast array of Hubble Space Telescope data, documentation, and software can feel daunting. To help address this, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) team is excited to introduce “Hands-on Hubble,” a video tutorial series that guides users step-by-step through the fundamentals of using WFC3 data and resources for astronomical research.

With the launch, the team has released four video tutorials that cover everything from the basics of the instrument to a close look at several practical data analysis tools. These guides are located on the HST Tutorial Videos page, which includes high-resolution video players, links to key resources, and copies of the slides.

• Tutorial 1: Instrument Essentials and Online Documentation: This beginner-friendly overview covers the essentials of WFC3, including how to navigate the web page and handbooks, as well as tips for staying up to date so you can spend more time focused on your science.
• Tutorial 2: The HST Jupyter Notebooks Repository: Find step-by-step instructions to navigate the GitHub pages, clone the repository to your computer, set up required software environments, and launch Jupyter notebooks in your browser. These notebooks help astronomers conduct research efficiently and share their analyses in a reproducible format.
• Tutorial 3: Using DrizzlePac to Align and Combine Exposures: Learn the fundamentals of drizzling, including how to align WFC3 images with TweakReg and combine exposures with AstroDrizzle. You’ll also find practical tips that can help you align challenging datasets and optimize the drizzle parameters for your specific WFC3 observations and science goals.
• Tutorial 4: Creating PSF Models for Astrometry and Photometry: An accurate Point Spread Function (PSF) model is key for precisely measuring the brightness and positions of sources in HST images. Learn how to create high-quality PSF models based on your WFC3 data and science goals, including advanced workflows for modeling individual exposures and drizzled mosaics.

Please share these resources with your colleagues, collaborators, and students. The first release provides foundational guides for a variety of users, and future tutorials may cover additional advanced content along with other HST instruments based on community suggestions and resource availability.

Hands-on support coming soon! These videos will be paired with monthly HST office hours where users can join an expert on Webex to ask questions related to data analysis, software support, and more. The first session is scheduled for Thursday, April 2 at 11 a.m. Eastern. The Webex link will be posted on the tutorials webpage. No pre-registration is required, and users of all experience levels are invited to ask questions.