The HST Daily Report will not be issued from 12/25/08 to 1/04/09,
inclusive. It will resume on Monday, January 5, 2009.

The HST science proposals that will execute during this hiatus will be
listed at the end of the Daily Report for 12/24.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to collect World Class Science

DAILY REPORT***** #4762

PERIOD COVERED: 5am December 22 - 5am December 23, 2008 (DOY
*************************** 357/1000z-358/1000z)

OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED

ACS/SBC 11885

SBC Dark Current Measurement

This takes a series of SBC dark measurements over a continuous period
of about 6 hours (4 orbits). The aim is to collect dark images during
an extended SBC on-time. Earlier measurements indicate that the dark
current increases with SBC on-time and may also be increasing with
overall SBC use. The 6-hour time matches the longest time used by any
observer. As with all SBC observations this needs continuous SAA free
time.

FGS 11945

Asteroseismology of Extrasolar Planet Host Stars

Detections of stellar oscillations, although a very demanding task in
terms of observing time, offers a return of more accurate knowledge
about the structure of stars than can be obtained in any other way. In
particular, detecting the 10-15 highest amplitude modes in solar-like
stars to signal-to-noise of just a few sigma each allows robust
constraints on the stellar density to 1%, and the stellar age to
within 5-10% of its main sequence lifetime. Ten day observing runs
using the FGS as a photometer on any of the 5 best transiting planet
systems would enable these asteroseismology returns. From more
precisely observed transit shapes than can be obtained from the ground
a completely independent constraint on stellar density to ~1% can be
obtained. The long observation sets required for asteroseismology also
provide an excellent opportunity of detecting transits from other
planets, e.g. hypothesized inner -orbit Hot Earths, should any exist.

WFPC2 11302

WFPC2 CYCLE 16 Standard Darks - Part III

This dark calibration program obtains dark frames every week in order
to provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current
rate, and to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels.
Over an extended period these data will also provide a monitor of
radiation damage to the CCDs.

WFPC2 11793

WFPC2 Cycle 16 Internal Monitor

This calibration proposal is the Cycle 15 routine internal monitor for
WFPC2, to be run weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. A
variety of internal exposures are obtained in order to provide a
monitor of the integrity of the CCD camera electronics in both bays
(both gain 7 and gain 15 -- to test stability of gains and bias
levels), a test for quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for
possible buildup of contaminants on the CCD windows. These also
provide raw data for generating annual super-bias reference files for
the calibration pipeline.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

Significant Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary
reports of potential non-nominal performance that will be
investigated.)

HSTARS: (None)

COMPLETED OPS REQUEST:

18370-1 - Adjust NCS CPL Setpoint (6º C) @ 358/0033z

COMPLETED OPS NOTES: (None)

********************** SCHEDULED***** SUCCESSFUL

FGS GSacq*************** 2****************** 2
FGS REacq************** 13***************** 13
OBAD with Maneuver **** 28***************** 28

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: (None)