Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:30:17.619Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

HST Image Restoration: Current Capabilities and Future Prospects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2016

Robert J. Hanisch
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
Richard L. White
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The spherical aberration in the primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope causes more than 80% of the light from a point source to be spread into a halo of radius of 2–3 arcsec. The point spread function (PSF) is both time variant (resulting from spacecraft jitter and desorption of the secondary mirror support structure) and space variant (owing to the Cassegrain repeater optics in the Wide Field / Planetary Camera). A variety of image restoration algorithms have been utilized on HST data with some success, although optimal restorations require better modeling of the PSF and the development of efficient restoration algorithms that accommodate a spacevariant PSF. The first HST servicing mission (December 1993) will deploy a corrective optics system for the Faint Object Camera and the two spectrographs and a second generation WF/PC with internal corrective optics. As simulations demonstrate, however, the restoration algorithms developed now for aberrated images will be very useful for removing the remaining diffraction features and optimizing dynamic range in post-servicing mission data.

Type
Imaging Techniques
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1994 

References

Burrows, C. J., et al.: 1991, Astrophys. J. 369, L21.Google Scholar
Busko, I.: 1992, submitted to Pub. Astron. Soc. Pacific. Google Scholar
Cobb, M., Hertz, P., Whaley, R., and Hoffman, E.: 1990, Bull. Amer. Astron. Soc. 22 (4), 1281.Google Scholar
Krist, J.E., Hasan, H., and Burrows, C.J.: 1992, in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems I, Worrall, D.M., Biemesderfer, C., and Barnes, J., eds., ASP Conference Series 25, 223.Google Scholar
Krist, J.E.: 1993, in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems II, Hanisch, R.J., Brissenden, R.J., and Barnes, J., eds., in press.Google Scholar
Krist, J.E., and Hasan, H.: 1993, in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems II, Hanisch, R.J., Brissenden, R.J., and Barnes, J., eds., in press Google Scholar
Lucy, L.B.: 1974, Astron. J. 79, 745.Google Scholar
Richardson, W.H.: 1972, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62, 55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snyder, D.: 1990, in The Restoration of HST Images and Spectra, White, R.L. and Allen, R.J., eds., Space Telescope Science Institute, 56.Google Scholar
Stetson, P.B.: 1991, in Proceedings, Third ESO/ST-ECF Data Analysis Workshop, Grosb⊘l, P.J. and Warmels, R.H., eds., European Southern Observatory Conference and Workshop Proceedings 38, 187.Google Scholar
Weir, N.: 1991, in Proceedings, Third ESO/ST-ECF Data Analysis Workshop, Grosb⊘l, P.J. and Warmels, R.H., eds., European Southern Observatory Conference and Workshop Proceedings 38, 115.Google Scholar
White, R.L.: 1993, in preparation.Google Scholar