When was the WFPC2 first used in HST?

The WFPC2 was installed in HST during the First Servicing Mission in December 1993. A more detailed assessment of its capabilities: Holtzman et al. (1995, PASP, 107, page 156 and page 1065).

What was the purpose of the WFPC2?

The WFPC2 was used to obtain high resolution images of astronomical objects over a relatively wide field of view and a broad range of wavelengths (1150 to 11,000 Å). WFPC2 was installed during the first HST Servicing Mission in 1993 and removed during Servicing Mission 4 in 2009.

How many pixels are a charge trap in WFPC2?

There are about 30 pixels in WFPC2 that are “charge traps” which do not transfer charge efficiently during readout, producing artifacts that are often quite noticeable. Typically, charge is delayed into successive pixels, producing a streak above the defective pixel.

Where was the Jet Propulsion Laboratory WFPC2 built?

Built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by an Investigation Definition Team (IDT) headed by John Trauger, WFPC2 was the replacement for the first Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WF/PC-1) and includes built-in corrections for the spherical aberration of the HST Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA).

What was the purpose of the WFPC2 camera?

WFPC2 was built by NASA ‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which also built the predecessor WF/PC camera launched with Hubble in 1990. WFPC2 contains internal corrective optics to fix the spherical aberration in the Hubble telescope’s primary mirror.

When was the Wide field and Planetary Camera 2 installed?

The Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) is a camera formerly installed on the Hubble Space Telescope. The camera was built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is roughly the size of a baby grand piano. It was installed by servicing mission 1 (STS-61) in 1993, replacing the telescope’s original Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WF/PC).

What kind of radiation does the WFPC2 detect?

The charge-coupled devices (CCDs) in the WFPC2 (designed at JPL and manufactured by Loral) detected electromagnetic radiation in a range from 120 nm to 1000 nm. This included the 380 nm to 780 nm of the visible spectrum, all of the near ultraviolet (and a small part of the extreme ultraviolet band) and most of the near-infrared band.