HST | MAST
HST
Mission Overview
Map of Observations
Wavelength Coverage
Instrument In-Service Dates
FGS
FOC
GHRS
FOS
HSP
WF/PC
WFPC2
NICMOS
STIS
ACS
COS
WFC3
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a 2.4-meter reflecting telescope, which was deployed in low-Earth orbit (600 kilometers) by the crew of the space shuttle Discovery (STS-31) on 25 April 1990. HST was designed to be a different type of mission for NASA -- a long-term, space-based observatory with regular servicing missions. HST's current complement of science instruments includes three cameras (ACS, WFC3/UVIS, and WFC3/IR), two spectrographs (COS and STIS), and fine guidance sensors (FGS). These science instruments can produce high-resolution images and spectra of astronomical objects and can also observe ultraviolet radiation, which is blocked by the atmosphere and therefore unavailable to ground-based telescopes. In the infrared portion of the spectrum, the Earth’s atmosphere adds a great deal of background, which is absent in Hubble observations.
After launch, scientists discovered spherical aberration in HST's main mirror, which resulted in fuzzy images. The STS-61 (Endeavour) mission of December 1993 corrected the effects of spherical aberration and fully restored the functionality of HST. Since then, servicing missions have regularly provided opportunities to repair aging and failed equipment as well as incorporate new technologies in the telescope, especially in the Science Instruments that are the heart of its operations. HST was on a three-year cycle of on-orbit servicing, with servicing missions in December 1993, February 1997, December 1999, March 2002 and May 2009. No future servicing missions are planned at this time.
More information and documentation on HST can be found at the
HST website.
Active From
Launch: April 1990
Observation: March 18, 1991 - present
Resolution
Imaging FWHM ≈ 0.067-0.156 arcsec
Spectroscopy resolving power R (= λ/∆λ) ≈ 70-114,000
Capabilities
UV, optical, and NIR imaging
UV, optical, and NIR spectroscopy
Coronagraphy
Interferometry for precision astrometry
Documentation
HST User Documentation
Instruments
Active
HST Instrumentation
WFC3
Wide Field Camera 3
COS
Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
STIS
Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
ACS
Advanced Camera for Surveys
FGS
Fine Guidance Sensors
Legacy
HST Instrumentation - Previously Operational Instruments
HSP
High Speed Photometer
FOS
Faint Object Spectrograph
FOC
Faint Object Camera
GHRS
Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph
NICMOS
Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer
WF/PC
Wide Field/Planetary Camera 1
WFPC2
Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2
Instrument
Direct
Imaging
Coronography
Polarimetry
Time-series
Observations
Spectroscopy
Wavelength Coverage
Instrument In-Service Dates
COS
UV
May 2009 - present
WFC3
UV, Vis, IR
May 2009 - present
ACS
UV, Vis
Mar 2002 -Jan 2007 & May 2009 - present
STIS
UV, Vis
Feb 1997 -Aug 2004 & May 2009 - present
NICMOS
IR
Feb 1997 - Jan 1999 & Mar 2002 - Sep 2008
WFPC2
UV, Vis
Dec 1993 - May 2009
FOC
UV, Vis
Apr 1990 - Mar 2002
FOS
UV, Vis
Apr 1990 - Feb 1997
GHRS
UV
Apr 1990 - Feb 1997
HSP
UV, Vis
Apr 1990 - Nov 1993
WF/PC
UV, Vis
Apr 1990 - Nov 1993
Search Tools
Hubble Source Catalog Search
The Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) is designed to optimize science from the Hubble Space Telescope by combining the tens of thousands of visit-based source lists in the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA) into a single master catalog
Hubble Search
Search for Hubble data with this easy to use form. New to Hubble data? This is a great place to start.
MAST Portal
Search multiple collections of astronomical data-sets from one place—images, spectra, catalogs, timeseries, publication records and more
Astroquery
A streamlined interface for Python users to access data in MAST. Replicates most functions of the MAST Portal web interface. Access MAST queries using the same function conventions and return types available for all Astroquery services. Integrates easily with Astropy functionality and other Python analysis tools.
z.MAST
Search for extragalactic observations and catalog data from MAST high-level science products (HLSP). Download results for further analysis or quickly view detailed information by individual galaxy—aggregated data, image cutouts, observed SEDs, and observations
Amazon Web Services
This dataset contains calibrated and raw data for all of the currently active instruments on HST: ACS, COS, STIS and WFC3.
HST Program Information
To obtain information about a specific program, enter the Program ID or the Investigator's Name and hit one of the buttons to the right of the entry box. When entering an investigator's name, either just the LAST name or both the FIRST and LAST name may be specified.
HST Abstract Search
Search the HST proposal abstracts and/or proposal titles for specific strings of interest. You may also search the HST abstracts database for a specific Guest Investigator (either in combination with a string search of the abstracts or alone).
Data Products
There are three categories of data products linked below: imaging, spectroscopy, and catalogs.
1: Imaging
Hubble Advanced Products
These 'Hubble Advanced Products' (HAP) are referred to as 'Single Visit Mosaics' (SVMs) and 'Multi Visit Mosaics' (MVMs). SVMs are all drizzled onto the same north-up pixel grid; they may have improved relative alignment, enabling easy comparison of the images through multiple filters. MVMs combine public observations of fields observed multiple times by ACS and WFC3 into a set of products drizzled onto a common, pre-defined pixel grid.
Hubble Legacy Archive
The Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA) is designed to optimize science from the Hubble Space Telescope by providing online, enhanced Hubble products and advanced browsing capabilities. The HLA is a joint project of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility (ST-ECF), and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC).
MAST HLSPs
High Level Science Products are observations, catalogs, or models that complement, or are derived from, MAST-supported missions, including HST. HLSPs can include images, spectra, light curves, maps, source catalogs, or simulations. They can include observations from other telescopes, or data that have been processed in a way that differs from what's available in the originating archive.
2: Spectroscopy
Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive
HSLA combines data from multiple observing programs, instruments, and gratings to create spectral products with the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio and wavelength coverage. It also performs automatic target classification, enabling searches based on object classification as well as by target name.
HASP
Released December 2023, HASP provides high-quality one-dimensional spectra for HST spectroscopic data. HASP offers robust coadded and combined products for nearly every COS and STIS spectrum, covering over 3200 programs and 64000 input datasets in MAST.
MAST HLSPs
High Level Science Products are observations, catalogs, or models that complement, or are derived from, MAST-supported missions, including HST. HLSPs can include images, spectra, light curves, maps, source catalogs, or simulations. They can include observations from other telescopes, or data that have been processed in a way that differs from what's available in the originating archive.
3: Catalogs
Hubble Catalog of Variables
The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) is the first full, homogeneous, catalog of variable sources found in the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC), which is built out of publicly available images obtained with the WFPC2, ACS, and WFC3 instruments onboard the HST. The HCV is the deepest catalog of variables available. It includes variable stars in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies, as well as transients and variable active galactic nuclei.
Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) Search
The Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) is designed to optimize science from the Hubble Space Telescope by combining the tens of thousands of visit-based source lists in the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA) into a single catalog. Version 3 was released on July 5, 2018 and includes many improvements in the photometry and astrometry along with a significant increase in the number of objects and measurements.