A toast to WFPC2, Hubble's incredible camera that helped change our view of the universe

[shireen]

The last Hubble servicing mission, scheduled to be launched on Monday afternoon, will be bitter-sweet for me. i've worked in WFPC2 technical support for more than 14 years and become very fond of this camera. WFPC2 (Wide Field and Planetary Camera II) was installed in 1993 and will be replaced later this week by the Wide Field Camera III (WFC3). This new camera and the repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) will provide even more spectacular imaging capability than ever. In addition, the new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and repaired Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) will help us understand more about the composition and dynamics of the universe. Hubble will also get some much-needed maintenance like a new computer, gyroscopes, batteries, and a new Fine Guidance Sensor.

But my heart will always be with WFPC2, a very remarkable and resilient camera, built by the good people at the Jet Propulsion Lab (Principal Investigator, John Trauger).

A toast to WFPC2. :toast:


More about the servicing mission at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/Summary_FS_HTML.html

Main servicing mission page:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/news/index.html

Farewell image from WFPC2.

(http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/21)

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May 10, 2009

Contacts:
Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
1-410-338-4514
[e-mail]

Keith Noll
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
1-410-338-1828
[e-mail]

HUBBLE PHOTOGRAPHS A PLANETARY NEBULA
TO COMMEMORATE DECOMMISSIONING OF SUPER CAMERA

The Hubble community bids farewell to the soon-to-be decommissioned
Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) onboard the Hubble Space
Telescope. In tribute to Hubble’s longest-running optical camera, a
planetary nebula has been imaged as WFPC2’s final “pretty picture.”

This planetary nebula is known as Kohoutek 4-55 (or K 4-55). It is one
of a series of planetary nebulae that were named after their
discoverer, Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek. A planetary nebula
contains the outer layers of a red giant star that were expelled into
interstellar space when the star was in the late stages of its life.
Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the remaining hot core of the star
ionizes the ejected gas shells, causing them to glow.

In the specific case of K 4-55, a bright inner ring is surrounded by a
bipolar structure. The entire system is then surrounded by a faint red
halo, seen in the emission by nitrogen gas. This multi-shell structure
is fairly uncommon in planetary nebulae.

This Hubble image was taken by WFPC2 on May 4, 2009. The colors
represent the makeup of the various emission clouds in the nebula: red
represents nitrogen, green represents hydrogen, and blue represents
oxygen. K 4-55 is nearly 4,600 light-years away in the constellation
Cygnus.

The WFPC2 instrument, which was installed in 1993 to replace the
original Wide Field/Planetary Camera, will be removed to make room for
Wide Field Camera 3 during the upcoming Hubble Servicing Mission.

During the camera’s amazing, nearly 16-year run, WFPC2 provided
outstanding science and spectacular images of the cosmos. Some of its
best-remembered images are of the Eagle Nebula pillars, Comet
P/Shoemaker-Levy 9’s impacts on Jupiter’s atmosphere, and the 1995
Hubble Deep Field -- the longest and deepest Hubble optical image of
its time.

The scientific and inspirational legacy of WFPC2 will be felt by
astronomers and the public alike, for as long as the story of the
Hubble Space Telescope is told.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: R. Sahai and J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

For images and more information about planetary nebula K 4-55, visit:
http://hubblesite.org/news/2009/21
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
http://www.spacetelescope.org/updates/html/update0906.html

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation
between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and is managed by
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Md. The Space
Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science
operations. The institute is operated for NASA by the Association of
Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., Washington, D.C.

STScI is an International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009) program partner.

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[Trajan]

1. Hubble has been such a success ...

I wish I could get picked up at JPL .... That would be a dream job for an ET ...

(Tried in the 80's and never tried again)

[Arctic Dave]

2. Cheers to the Hubble telescope. Thanks for the great things you have shown us.

[Bill McBlueState]

3. thanks for all your hard work

WFPC2 was a workhorse, but I'm particularly sad to see NICMOS go. My group completed about 1/3 of a program to image Orion protostars at 1.6 and 2 microns before it checked out. We actually were awarded time to finish the program with WFC3, but we won't be able to get the 2-micron data, which was the more useful to us.

[shireen]

6. Thanks for your hard work too. it's scientist like you that have made Hubble a spectacular success

i'm also disappointed about NICMOS. :(

But I'm glad you will be able to do some work with WFC3.

You will get your 2 um data eventually, via JWST. Launch isn't till 2014, which actually isn't that far off.

:hi:

[immoderate]

4. Salud!

:toast:

I have long enjoyed the beautiful and fascinating images from Hubble. Thanks to all involved.

--imm

[mopinko]

5. one of the great things about homeschooling

was letting my kids stay up late and watch the hubble repairs. never forget it.

[shireen]

7. thanks all, it's been a true labor of love. I feel very fortunate.

It's going to be very exciting to see the new and repaired instruments in action. Even tho' this is the last servicing mission, Hubble still has a lot of life and the data will be even better than ever. :)

[SurfingScientist]

8. Wow! How many HST-using astronomers are on this board?

I am in the middle of reducing my WFPC2, ACS and NICMOS2 data...

Thanks for your work shireen!!! :hi:

I may just bug you with all kinds of questions ;-)

I saw the shuttle launch from Titusville, FL. Amazing!!!

[Bill McBlueState]

10. ooh, what are you working on?

Tell us more!

[SurfingScientist]

11. Galaxy Evolution, Deep Fields.

Looking at the star history of star formation in galaxies, their morphological evolution, etc.

Part of a big multi-wavelength survey.

Nice to meet you :) Hey, we need to have an astronomers' corner on DU. Call it "AU", maybe :) ???

:hi: :toast:

[shireen]

12. pm me anytime,

i'll send you my work email. always happy to help out a fellow DU'er. :hi:

[centristgrandpa]

9. Space, what a place...

When reflecting back on all of NASA space projects, Hubble sure stands out considering all the countless missions that were successful. Kudos to all of the engineers and software developers who made and supported HST from the ground. The technology is mind-boggling and all the photo's are priceless, considering the vast array of instruments on board that contributed to HST success. The deep field project was probably the one that mesmerized me into the Pink Floyd zone, giving me a momentary glimpse of boundlessness. Thank you NASA.