Planetary Camera Research Articles

A FIRST MEASUREMENT OF THE PROPER MOTION OF THE LEO II DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

We use 14-year baseline images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space telescope to derive a proper motion for one of the Milky Way's most distant dwarf spheroidal companions, Leo II, relative to an extragalactic background reference frame. Astrometric measurements are performed in the effective point spread function (ePSF) formalism using our own developed code. An astrometric reference grid is defined using 3,224 stars that are members of Leo II that are brighter than magnitude 25 in the F814W band. We identify 17 compact extra-galactic sources, for which we measure a systemic proper motion relative to this stellar reference grid. We derive a proper motion [\mu_{\alpha},\mu_{\delta}]=[+104+/-113,-33+/-151] microarcseconds/yr for Leo II in the heliocentric reference frame. Though marginally detected, the proper motion yields constraints on the orbit of Leo II. Given a distance of 230 Kpc and a heliocentric radial velocity +79 km/s, and after subtraction of the solar motion, our measurement indicates a total orbital motion 266.1+/-128.7 km/s in the Galactocentric reference frame, with a radial component +21.5+/-4.3 km/s and tangential component 265.2+/-129.4 km/s. The small radial component indicates that Leo II either has a low-eccentricity orbit, or is currently close to perigalacticon or apogalacticon distance. We see evidence for systematic errors in the astrometry of the extragalactic sources which, while close to being point sources, are slightly resolved in the HST images. We argue that more extensive observations at later epochs will be necessary to better constrain the proper motion of Leo II. We provide a detailed catalog of the stellar and extragalactic sources identified in the HST data which should provide a solid early-epoch reference for future astrometric measurements.

THE DYNAMICAL DISTANCE, RR LYRAE ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE, AND AGE OF THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER NGC 6266

The internal proper motion dispersion of NGC 6266 was measured using Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images with an epoch difference of eight years. The dispersion was found to be 0.041 {+-} 0.001 arcsec century{sup -1}. This value was then equated to the cluster's radial velocity dispersion of 13.7 {+-} 1.1 km s{sup -1} to yield a distance to NGC 6266 of 7054 {+-} 583 pc. Based on this distance we find that the NGC 6266 RR Lyrae stars have M{sub V} = 0.51 {+-} 0.18 mag. This magnitude is in good agreement with that predicted by the M{sub V} versus [Fe/H] relation found by Benedict et al. Using an average [Fe/H] of -1.25 for NGC 6266, their relation predicts M{sub V} = 0.49 {+-} 0.06. Based on the RR Lyrae M{sub V} versus age relation determined by Chaboyer et al., we estimate that NGC 6266 has an age of 11.4 {+-} 2.2 Gyr.

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN THE OUTER GALACTIC HALO: NEWHUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS IMAGING OF SIX GLOBULAR CLUSTERS AND THE GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTER AGE-METALLICITY RELATION

Color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) derived from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys F606W,F814W photometry of 6 globular clusters (GCs) are presented. The six GCs form two loose groupings in Galactocentric distance (Rgc): IC 4499, NGC 6426, and Ruprecht 106 at ~15-20 kpc and NGC 7006, Palomar 15, and Pyxis at ~40 kpc. The CMDs allow the ages to be estimated from the main sequence turnoff in every case. In addition, the age of Palomar 5 (Rgc ~ 18 kpc) is estimated using archival HST Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 V,I photometry. The age analysis reveals the following: IC 4499, Ruprecht 106, and Pyxis are 1-2 Gyr younger than inner halo GCs with similar metallicities; NGC 7006 and Palomar 5 are marginally younger than their inner halo counterparts; NGC 6426 and Palomar 15, the two most metal-poor GCs in the sample, are coeval with all the other metal-poor GCs within the uncertainties. Combined with our previous efforts, the current sample provides strong evidence that the Galactic GC age-metallicity relation consists of two distinct branches. One suggests a rapid chemical enrichment in the inner Galaxy while the other suggests prolonged GC formation in the outer halo. The latter is consistent with the outer halo GCs forming in dwarf galaxies and later being accreted by the Milky Way.

Jovian chromophore characteristics from multispectral HST images

The chromophores responsible for coloring the jovian atmosphere are embedded within Jupiter’s vertical aerosol structure. Sunlight propagates through this vertical distribution of aerosol particles, whose colors are defined by ϖ 0( λ), and we remotely observe the culmination of the radiative transfer as I/ F( λ). In this study, we employed a radiative transfer code to retrieve ϖ 0( λ) for particles in Jupiter’s tropospheric haze at seven wavelengths in the near-UV and visible regimes. The data consisted of images of the 2008 passage of Oval BA to the south of the Great Red Spot obtained by the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on-board the Hubble Space Telescope. We present derived particle colors for locations that were selected from 14 weather regions, which spanned a large range of observed colors. All ϖ 0( λ) curves were absorbing in the blue, and ϖ 0( λ) increased monotonically to approximately unity as wavelength increased. We found accurate fits to all ϖ 0( λ) curves using an empirically derived functional form: ϖ 0( λ) = 1 − A exp(− Bλ). The best-fit parameters for the mean ϖ 0( λ) curve were A = 25.4 and B = 0.0149 for λ in units of nm. We performed a principal component analysis (PCA) on our ϖ 0( λ) results and found that one or two independent chromophores were sufficient to produce the variations in ϖ 0( λ). A PCA of I/ F( λ) for the same jovian locations resulted in principal components (PCs) with roughly the same variances as the ϖ 0( λ) PCA, but they did not result in a one-to-one mapping of PC amplitudes between the ϖ 0( λ) PCA and I/ F( λ) PCA. We suggest that statistical analyses performed on I/ F( λ) image cubes have limited applicability to the characterization of chromophores in the jovian atmosphere due to the sensitivity of I/ F( λ) to horizontal variations in the vertical aerosol distribution.

Neptune’s cloud and haze variations 1994–2008 from 500 HST–WFPC2 images

The analysis of all suitable images taken of Neptune with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on the Hubble Space Telescope between 1994 and 2008 revealed the following results. The activity of discrete cloud features located near Neptune’s tropopause remained roughly constant within each year but changed significantly on the time scale of ∼5 years. Discrete clouds covered 1% of the disk on average, but more than 2% in 2002. The other ∼99% of the disk probed Neptune’s hazes at lower altitudes. At red and near-infrared wavelengths, two dark bands around −70° and 10° latitude were perfectly steady and originated in the upper two scale heights of the troposphere, either by decreased haze opacity or by an increased methane relative humidity. At blue wavelengths, a dark band between −60° and −30° latitude was most obvious during the early years, caused by dark aerosols below the 3-bar level with single scattering albedos reduced by ∼0.04, and this contrast was constant between 410 and 630 nm wavelength. The dark band decayed exponentially with a time constant of 5 ± 1 years, which can be explained by settling of the dark aerosols at a rate of 1 bar pressure difference per year. The other latitudes brightened with the same time constant but lower amplitudes. The only exception was a darkening event in the 15–30° latitude region between 1994 and 1996, which coincides with two dark spots observed in the same region during the same time period, the only dark spots seen since Voyager. The dark aerosols had a similar latitudinal distribution as the discrete clouds near the tropopause, although both were separated by four scale heights. Photometric analysis revealed a phase coefficient of 0.0028 ± 0.0010 mag/deg for the 0–2° phase-angle range observable from Earth. Neptune’s sub-Earth latitude varied by less than 3° throughout the observation period providing a data set with almost constant viewing geometry. The trends observed up to 2008 continued into 2010 based on images taken with the Wide Field Camera 3.

Post-equinox observations of Uranus: Berg’s evolution, vertical structure, and track towards the equator

We present observations of Uranus taken with the near-infrared camera NIRC2 on the 10-m W.M. Keck II telescope, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) from July 2007 through November 2009. In this paper we focus on a bright southern feature, referred to as the “Berg.” In Sromovsky et al. (Sromovsky, L.A., Fry, P.M., Hammel, H.B., Ahue, A.W., de Pater, I., Rages, K.A., Showalter, M.R., van Dam, M. [2009]. Icarus 203, 265–286), we reported that this feature, which oscillated between latitudes of −32° and −36° for several decades, suddenly started on a northward track in 2005. In this paper we show the complete record of observations of this feature’s track towards the equator, including its demise. After an initially slow linear drift, the feature’s drift rate accelerated at latitudes ∣ θ∣ < 25°. By late 2009 the feature, very faint by then, was spotted at a latitude of −5° before disappearing from view. During its northward track, the feature’s morphology changed dramatically, and several small bright unresolved features were occasionally visible poleward of the main “streak.” These small features were sometimes visible at a wavelength of 2.2 μm, indicative that the clouds reached altitudes of ∼0.6 bar. The main part of the Berg, which is generally a long sometimes multipart streak, is estimated to be much deeper in the atmosphere, near 3.5 bars in 2004, but rising to 1.8–2.5 bars in 2007 after it began its northward drift. Through comparisons with Neptune’s Great Dark Spot and simulations of the latter, we discuss why the Berg may be tied to a vortex, an anticyclone deeper in the atmosphere that is visible only through orographic companion clouds.

THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. VII. THE NGC 4214 STARBURST AND THE EFFECTS OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY ON DWARF MORPHOLOGY

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) optical observations obtained as part of the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (ANGST) as well as early release Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) ultra-violet and infrared observations of the nearby dwarf starbursting galaxy NGC 4214. Our data provide a detailed example of how covering such a broad range in wavelength provides a powerful tool for constraining the physical properties of stellar populations. The deepest data reach the ancient red clump at M_F814W -0.2. All of the optical data reach the main sequence turnoff for stars younger than ~300 Myr, and the blue He burning sequence for stars younger than 500 Myr. The full CMD-fitting analysis shows that all three fields in our data set are consistent with ~75% of the stellar mass being older than 8 Gyr, in spite of showing a wide range in star formation rates at the present day. Thus, our results suggest that the scale length of NGC 4214 has remained relatively constant for many Gyr. As previously noted by others, we also find the galaxy has recently ramped up production, consistent with its bright UV luminosity and its population of UV-bright massive stars. In the central field we find UV point sources with F336W magnitudes as bright as -9.9. These are as bright as stars with masses of at least 52-56 M_sun and ages near 4 Myr in stellar evolution models. Assuming a standard IMF, our CMD is well-fitted by an increase in star formation rate beginning 100 Myr ago. The stellar populations of this late-type dwarf are compared with those of NGC 404, an early-type dwarf that is also the most massive galaxy in its local environment. The late-type dwarf appears to have a similar high fraction of ancient stars, suggesting that these dominant galaxies may form at early epochs even if they have low total mass and very different present-day morphologies.

STAR CLUSTERS IN THE TIDAL TAILS OF INTERACTING GALAXIES: CLUSTER POPULATIONS ACROSS A VARIETY OF TAIL ENVIRONMENTS

We have searched for compact stellar structures within 17 tidal tails in 13 different interacting galaxies using F606W- and F814W- band images from the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The sample of tidal tails includes a diverse population of optical properties, merging galaxy mass ratios, HI content, and ages. Combining our tail sample with Knierman et al. (2003), we find evidence of star clusters formed in situ with Mv < -8.5 and V-I < 2.0 in 10 of 23 tidal tails; we are able to identify cluster candidates to Mv = -6.5 in the closest tails. Three tails offer clear examples of "beads on a string" star formation morphology in V-I color maps. Two tails present both tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidates and cluster candidates. Statistical diagnostics indicate that clusters in tidal tails may be drawn from the same power-law luminosity functions (with logarithmic slopes ~ -2 - -2.5) found in quiescent spiral galaxies and the interiors of interacting systems. We find that the tail regions with the largest number of observable clusters are relatively young (< 250 Myr old) and bright (V < 24 mag arcsec^(-2)), probably attributed to the strong bursts of star formation in interacting systems soon after periapse. Otherwise, we find no statistical difference between cluster-rich and cluster-poor tails in terms of many observable characteristics, though this analysis suffers from complex, unresolved gas dynamics and projection effects.

Properties of the nuclei and comae of 10 ecliptic comets from Hubble Space Telescope multi-orbit observations★

Context. Knowledge of the size distribution of cometary nuclei and, more generally, of their physical properties is important for constraining models of the formation and evolution of the Solar System. Aims. We report on our on-going effort to determine the ensemble properties of comets based on our success in detecting the nuclei of active comets with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Methods. During cycle 8 (July 1999 to June 2000), we observed 13 ecliptic comets with the planetary camera 2 through at least two filters (V and R) and up to four (B, V, R, I) for the brightest ones. The ∼30 min of HST observational time devoted to each comet did not permit a proper determination of light curves, so our “snapshot” observations yield effective radii, not shapes. Results. Assuming spherical nuclei with a geometric albedo of 0.04 for the R band (except 0.024 for 10P/Tempel 2, as independently measured) and a phase law of 0.04 mag/deg, we obtained the following effective radii: 4P/Faye: 1.77 km, 10P/Tempel 2: 5.98 km, 17P/Holmes: 1.71 km, 37P/Forbes: 0.81 km 44P/Reinmuth 2: 1.61 km, 50P/Arend: 0.95 km, 59P/Kearns–Kwee: 0.79 km, 63P/Wild 1: 1.46 km, 71P/Clark: 0.68 km, 84P/Giclas: 0.90 km, 106P/Schuster: 0.94 km, 112P/Urata–Niijima: 0.90 km, 114P/Wiseman–Skiff: 0.78 km. In our present sample, eight out of thirteen nuclei have sub-kilometer radii. The average color of the observed nuclei is (V − R) = 0.52 ± 0.04, which is significantly redder than the Sun. We determined the dust activity parameter Afρ of their coma in the R band, and estimated the dust production rates. The average reflectivity gradient of the dust comae of six comets is S � [670, 792 nm] = 15.2 ± 2.3% per kA.

Dynamics Induced by the Central Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies

Dynamics Induced by the Central Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies

THE 100 Myr STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF NGC 5471 FROM CLUSTER AND RESOLVED STELLAR PHOTOMETRY

We show that star formation in the giant H ii region NGC 5471 has been ongoing during the past 100 Myr. Using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 F547M and F675W, ground-based JHKs, and GALEX FUV and NUV images, we have conducted a photometric study of the star formation history (SFH) in the massive giant extragalactic H ii region NGC 5471 in M101. We perform a photometric study of the color–magnitude diagram (CMD) of the resolved stars and an integrated analysis of the main individual star-forming clusters and of NGC 5471 as a whole. The integrated UV–optical–NIR photometry for the whole region provides two different reference ages, 8 Myr and 60 Myr, revealing a complex SFH, clearly confirmed by the CMD-resolved stellar photometry analysis. The spatial distribution of the stars shows that the star formation in NGC 5471 has proceeded along the whole region during, at least, the last 100 Myr. The current ionizing clusters are enclosed within a large bubble, which is likely to have been produced by the stars that formed in a major event ∼20 Myr ago.

Changes in Jupiter’s zonal velocity between 1979 and 2008

We show that the peak velocity of Jupiter’s visible-cloud-level zonal winds near 24°N (planetographic) increased from 2000 to 2008. This increase was the only change in the zonal velocity from 2000 to 2008 for latitudes between ±70° that was statistically significant and not obviously associated with visible weather. We present the first automated retrieval of fast (∼130 m s −1) zonal velocities at 8°N planetographic latitude, and show that some previous retrievals incorrectly found slower zonal winds because the eastward drift of the dark projections (associated with 5-μm hot spots) “fooled” the retrieval algorithms. We determined the zonal velocity in 2000 from Cassini images from NASA’s Planetary Data System using a global method similar to previous longitude-shifting correlation methods used by others, and a new local method based on the longitudinal average of the two-dimensional velocity field. We obtained global velocities from images acquired in May 2008 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Longer-term variability of the zonal winds is based on comparisons with published velocities based on 1979 Voyager 2 and 1995–1998 HST images. Fluctuations in the zonal wind speeds on the order of 10 m s −1 on timescales ranging from weeks to months were found in the 1979 Voyager 2 and the 1995–1998 HST velocities. In data separated by 10 h, we find that the east–west velocity uncertainty due to longitudinal fluctuations are nearly 10 m s −1, so velocity fluctuations of 10 m s −1 may occur on timescales that are even smaller than 10 h. Fluctuations across such a wide range of timescales limit the accuracy of zonal wind measurements. The concept of an average zonal velocity may be ill-posed, and defining a “temporal mean” zonal velocity as the average of several zonal velocity fields spanning months or years may not be physically meaningful. At 8°N, we use our global method to find peak zonal velocities of ∼110 m s −1 in 2000 and ∼130 m s −1 in 2008. Zonal velocities from 2000 Cassini data produced by our local and global methods agree everywhere, except in the vicinity of 8°N. There, the local algorithm shows that the east–west velocity has large variations in longitude; vast regions exceed ∼140 m s −1. Our global algorithm, and all of the velocity-extraction algorithms used in previously-published studies, found the east–west drift velocities of the visible dark projections, rather than the true zonal velocity at the visible-cloud level. Therefore, the apparent increase in zonal winds between 2000 and 2008 at 8°N is not a true change in zonal velocity. At 7.3°N, the Galileo probe found zonal velocities of 170 m s −1 at the 3-bar level. If the true zonal velocity at the visible-cloud level at this latitude is ∼140 m s −1 rather than ∼105 m s −1, then the vertical zonal wind shear is much less than the currently accepted value.

A SEARCH FOR RR LYRAE VARIABLES IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF M54

We have analyzed archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) observations of the central region of the globular cluster M54. The 12 irregularly timed observations (6 F555W, 6 F814W) were reduced using the HSTphot stellar photometry package. Our statistical analysis of the HSTphot photometry yielded 50 variable stars that are likely RR Lyrae candidates. These candidates were missed by previous ground-based searches for RR Lyraes due to the extreme crowding in the core of M54. We performed two checks on our sample of RR Lyrae candidates to determine how different they were from the other variable candidates. The first test was a numerical analysis comparing the ratio of variable candidates to the total number of stars within the blue horizontal branch, the RR Lyrae region, and the red giant branch. We found ratios of 0.61%, 13%, and 1.1% in these regions, respectively. Our next test was a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, which allowed us to find out how different our 50 RR Lyrae candidates were from the 50 brightest other variable candidates. According to the K-S test, there is only a 0.0004% probability that these two populations are similar, indicating that our RR Lyrae candidates do indeed exhibit some real fluctuation in their brightness. We sampled the light curves of confirmed RR Lyrae light curves to simulate the HST observing conditions and found that a signature of variability in 2911 out of the 4000 (72%) generated stars. We estimate that there maybe as many as 19 more RR Lyrae candidates that were undetected in the WFPC2 field of view. The presence of additional RR Lyraes has implications into the current Oosterhoff classification for the cluster.

Improved measurement of Asteroid (4) Vesta’s rotational axis orientation

We report an improved measurement of the rotational axis orientation of Asteroid (4) Vesta. By analyzing and combining all previous measurements using a limb-fitting technique from ground/HST data collected from 1983 to 2006, we derive a pole solution of (RA = 304.5°, Dec = 41.5°). Images of Vesta acquired with the Wide Field Camera 3 onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in February 2010 are combined with images from the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on HST obtained in 1994, 1996, and 2007 at similar spatial resolution and wavelengths to perform new measurements. Control point stereogrammetry returns a pole solution of (305.1°, 43.4°). An alternate method tracks surface features and fits their projected paths with ellipses to determine a great circle containing the pole for each HST observation. Combined, the four great circles yield a pole solution of (309.3°, 41.9°). These three solutions obtained with almost independent methods are within 3.5° of each other, suggesting a robust solution. Combining the results from all three techniques, we propose an improved value of the rotational axis of Vesta as RA = 305.8° ± 3.1°, Dec = 41.4° ± 1.5° (1- σ error). This new solution changes from (301°, 41°) reported by Thomas et al. (Thomas, P.C., Binzel, R.P., Gaffey, M.J., Zellner, B.H., Storrs, A.D., Wells, E. [1997a]. Icarus 128, 88–94) by 3.6°, and from (306°, 38°) reported by Drummond and Christou (Drummond, J.D., Christou, J. [2008]. Icarus 197, 480–496) by 3.4°. It changes the obliquity of Vesta by up to ∼3°, but increases the Sun-centered RA of Vesta at equinox by ∼8°, and postpones the date of equinox by ∼35 days. The change of the pole position is less than the resolution of all previous images of Vesta, and should not change the main science conclusions of previous research about Vesta.

ON THE RADIAL EXTENT OF THE DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY IC10

We present new deep and accurate space (Advanced Camera for Surveys -- Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 at the Hubble Space Telescope) and ground-based (Suprime-Cam at Subaru Telescope, Mega-Cam at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope) photometric and astrometric data for the Local Group dwarf irregular IC10. We confirm the significant decrease of the young stellar population when moving from the center toward the outermost regions. We find that the tidal radius of IC10 is significantly larger than previous estimates of $r_t \lesssim$ 10\min. By using the $I$,\vmi\ Color Magnitude Diagram based on the Suprime-Cam data we detect sizable samples of red giant (RG) stars up to radial distances of 18-23$'$ from the galactic center. The ratio between observed star counts (Mega-Cam data) across the tip of the RG branch and star counts predicted by Galactic models indicate a star count excess at least at a 3$\sigma$ level up to 34-42\min\ from the center. This finding supports the hypothesis that the huge H{\size{I}} cloud covering more than one degree across the galaxy is associated with IC10 \citep{huchtmeier79,cohen79}. We also provide new estimates of the total luminosity ($L_V\sim9\times$$10^7$ $L_\odot$, $M_V$$\sim$-15.1 mag) that agrees with similar estimates available in the literature. If we restrict to the regions where rotational velocity measurements are available (r$\approx13'$), we find a mass-to-light ratio ($\sim$10 $M_\odot$ $L_\odot$) that is at least one order of magnitude larger than previous estimates. The new estimate should be cautiously treated, since it is based on a minimal fraction of the body of the galaxy.

Hubble Space Telescope observations of Europa in and out of eclipse

AbstractEuropa is a prime target for astrobiology and has been prioritized as the next target for a National Aeronautics and Space Administration flagship mission. It is important, therefore, that we advance our understanding of Europa, its ocean and physical environment as much as possible. Here, we describe observations of Europa obtained during its orbital eclipse by Jupiter using the Hubble Space Telescope. We obtained Advanced Camera for Surveys Solar Blind Channel far ultraviolet low-resolution spectra that show oxygen line emission both in and out of eclipse. We also used the Wide-Field and Planetary Camera-2 and searched for broad-band optical emission from fluorescence of the surface material, arising from the very high level of incident energetic particle radiation on ices and potentially organic substances. The high-energy particle radiation at the surface of Europa is extremely intense and is responsible for the production of a tenuous oxygen atmosphere and associated FUV line emission. Approximately 50% of the oxygen emission lasts at least a few hours into the eclipse. We discuss the detection limits of the optical emission, which allow us to estimate the fraction of incident energy reradiated at optical wavelengths, through electron-excited emission, Cherenkov radiation in the ice and fluorescent processes.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE ASTROMETRY OF TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECTS

We present 1428 individual astrometric measurements of 256 trans-Neptunian objects made with Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The observations were collected over three years with two instruments, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys High Resolution Camera, as part of four HST programs. We briefly describe the data and our analysis procedures. The submission of these measurements to the Minor Planet Center increased the individual arc length of objects by 1.83 days to 8.11 years. Of the 256 total objects, 62 (24.2%) had arc length increases of ≥3 years. The arc length for 60 objects (23.4%) was increased by a factor of 2 or greater.

Multiband photometric decomposition of nuclear stellar disks

Small and bright stellar disks with scale lengths of few tens of parsec are known to reside in the center of galaxies. They are believed to have formed in a dissipational process as the end result of star formation in gas either accreted in a merging (or acquisition) event or piled up by the secular evolution of a nuclear bar. Only few of them have been studied in detail to date. Using archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, we investigated the photometric parameters of the nuclear stellar disks hosted by three early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster, NGC 4458, NGC4478, and NGC4570. We aimed at constraining the process of formation of their stars. The central surface brightness, scale length, inclination, and position angle of the nuclear disks were derived by adopting the photometric decomposition method introduced by Scorza & Bender and assuming the disks to be infinitesimally thin and exponential. The location, orientation, and size of the nuclear disks is the same in all the images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and Advanced Camera for Survey and available in the HST Science Archive. The scale length, inclination, and position angle of each disk are constant within the errors in the observed U, B, V, and I passbands, independently of their values and of the properties of the host spheroid. We interpret the absence of color gradients in the stellar population of the nuclear disks as the signature that star formation homogeneously occurred all through their extension. A inside-out formation scenario is, instead, expected to produce color gradients and therefore is ruled out.

On the long-term variability of Jupiter’s winds and brightness as observed from Hubble

Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 imaging data of Jupiter were combined with wind profiles from Voyager and Cassini data to study long-term variability in Jupiter’s winds and cloud brightness. Searches for evidence of wind velocity periodicity yielded a few latitudes with potential variability; the most significant periods were found nearly symmetrically about the equator at 0°, 10–12°N, and 14–18°S planetographic latitude. The low to mid-latitude signals have components consistent with the measured stratospheric temperature Quasi-Quadrennial Oscillation (QQO) period of 4–5 years, while the equatorial signal is approximately seasonal and could be tied to mesoscale wave formation. Robustness tests indicate that a constant or continuously varying periodic signal near 4.5 years would appear with high significance in the data periodograms as long as uncertainties or noise in the data are not of greater magnitude. However, the lack of a consistent signal over many latitudes makes it difficult to interpret as a QQO-related change. In addition, further analyses of calibrated 410-nm and 953-nm brightness scans found few corresponding changes in troposphere haze and cloud structure on QQO timescales. However, stratospheric haze reflectance at 255-nm did appear to vary on seasonal timescales, though the data do not have enough temporal coverage or photometric accuracy to be conclusive. Sufficient temporal coverage and spacing, as well as data quality, are critical to this type of search.

Optical design of the single-detector planetary stereo camera for the BepiColombo European Space Agency mission to Mercury

We present the catadioptric optical design solution for the stereo channel of the imaging system SIMBIOSYS for the BepiColombo European Space Agency mission to Mercury. The main scientific objectives of the instrument are the three-dimensional global mapping of the entire surface of Mercury in the panchromatic band and imaging of selected areas in four broad colored bands; both tasks have to be accomplished with a scale factor of 50?m per pixel at periherm. The system consists of an original compact layout in which the two stereo subchannels share a common detector; also, the optical components are common to the two subchannels, with the exception of the first element, which is a rhomboid prism. The field of view of each subchannel is about 5 degrees x5 degrees with a scale factor of 23 arcsec/pixel. The ray-tracing simulation of the system shows that the design guarantees optimal aberration balancing over the entire field of view and the entire wavelength range covered by the instrument, with ensquared energy of the order of 80% in one pixel.