First light for space telescope

Details First light for space telescope First light for space telescope

Dec 1986

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1986s%26t....72..562t&link_type=abstract

Sky and Telescope (ISSN 0037-6604), vol. 72, Dec. 1986, p. 562-565.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Hubble Space Telescope, Mission Planning, Spaceborne Astronomy, Payload Delivery (Sts)

Scientific paper

The launch of the 2.4-m Hubble Space Telescope (HST) by the Space Shuttle Atlantis in late 1988 is discussed. Only after a commissioning period will the observatory begin routine scientific operations. After circling the globe in tandem for two days, Atlantis and space telescope will part and a one-to-two month Orbital Verification period will begin. 'First light' will involve the detection of an anonymous star by the spacecraft's pointing and control system. Three fine-guidance sensors permit the telescope to find a particular object and remain pointed at it to within 0.007 arc second for as long as 24 hours. Magnitude 28 stars will be detected routinely and magnitude 31 stars in the longest exposures. Objects that will be used to test the functioning of the various scientific instruments are noted: NGC 188 for the wide-field/planetary camera, 30 Doradus (Tarantula nebula) for the high-resolution spectrograph, the triple quasar PG 1115 + 80A, B, C in Leo for the faint-object spectrograph. In a Science verification period, the scientific instruments will be calibrated so as to remove their signatures as much as possible from the data. Kapteyn's Selected Area 95, the Orion nebula, and the 'Egg nebula' in Cygnus are candidate calibration objects.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

First light for space telescope does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with First light for space telescope, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and First light for space telescope will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1127691