Assessing ACS/WFC Sky Backgrounds
Abstract
This report compares the on-orbit sky background levels present in Cycle 18 ACS/WFC fullframe images against estimates provided by the Exposure Time Calculator (ETC). Backgrounds of over ~20 e- can alleviate charge-transfer efficiency (CTE) losses, which especially affect low S/N sources. HST observers can use these estimates to anticipate the natural background that should be present in their exposures, and can then determine whether they want to supplement that background with a post-flash to improve the CTE - at the cost of more background noise.
- Publication:
-
Instrument Science Report ACS 2012-04
- Pub Date:
- July 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012acs..rept....4S
- Keywords:
-
- Hubble Space Telescope;
- HST;
- Space Telescope Science Institute;
- STScI