Far-Ultraviolet Astronomy on the Astro-1 Space Shuttle Mission

Science ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 259 (5093) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Davidsen
1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
J.B. Holberg

AbstractThe instrumental characteristics, observational capabilities and scientific results of the Voyager 1 and 2 ultraviolet spectrometers are reviewed. These instruments provide current and ongoing access to low resolution spectra for a wide variety of astronomical sources in the 500 to 1700 Å band. Observations of the brightest OB stars and hot subluminous stars as faint as V = 15 mag. are possible. In the EUV, at wavelengths shortward of 900 Å, several new sources have been detected and a host of potential sources ruled out. In the Far UV, particularly at wavelengths between 900 and 1200 Å, Voyager is capable of observing a wide range of stellar and non-stellar sources. Such observations can often provide a valuable complement to IUE and other data sets at longer wavelengths. The Voyager spectrometers have proved remarkably stable photon counting instruments, capable of extremely long integration times. The long integration times, relatively large field of view, and location in the outer solar system also provide an ideal platform for observations of sources of faint diffuse emission, such as nebulae and the general sky background.


Author(s):  
Amanda R. Hendrix ◽  
Brian T. Fleming ◽  
Eric Schindhelm ◽  
Rachel M. Tyler ◽  
Emily M. Witt ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. H. W. Siegmund ◽  
M. Lampton ◽  
J. Bixler ◽  
J. Vallerga ◽  
S. Bowyer

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 608-614
Author(s):  
Edward B. Jenkins

Results from the IUE satellite, summarized in the section which follows this one, continue to dominate the literature for research topics which rely on observations in the ultraviolet. This trend may be accentuated in the near future, as we experience the natural attrition of papers based on results from previous major missions which are no longer operating, such as TD-1, Copernicus, ANS and BUSS. The Challenger accident on January 28, 1986 abruptly halted flights of new orbital facilities which depend on the Space Shuttle and has created long and somewhat indefinite postponements in the eventual manifesting of payloads ranging in size from simple experiments in Getaway Special (GAS) and Spartan carriers, to telescopes of intermediate size on Spacelab (such as those which were to fly on the Astro mission in March 1986) to the Hubble Space Telescope. Suborbital missions, i.e., sounding-rockets and balloons, will probably dominate the extra-IUE uv astronomy scene until there is a re-establishment of a vigorous launch schedule for expendable vehicles and/or the Space Shuttle.


1985 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 626-636
Author(s):  
Stephen p. Maran

During 1982-1984, progress in ultraviolet astronomy continued through extensive observations with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), continuing programs of sounding rocket and balloon flights, and through observations made from other orbital spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle and ASTRON. In addition, there was important progress in the design and development of facilities for future missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope.


1984 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 344-347
Author(s):  
Christopher Martin ◽  
Stuart Bowyer

AbstractThe Berkeley Extreme Ultraviolet/Far Ultraviolet Shuttle Telescope (BEST) will be launched on the Space Shuttle in November, 1984, as part of the NASA UVX project. The Berkeley spectrometer will make observations of the cosmic diffuse background in the 600-1900 Å band, with a spectral resolution of 10 Å. The sensitivity and spectral resolution of the instrument make it ideal for the study of components of the interstellar medium in the 104 - 106K range.


The resonance lines of M gn (A = 279.55 and 280.27 nm) are just beyond the extinction limit of the Earth’s atmosphere. Because of the high cosmic abundance of magnesium, these lines are particularly important in ultraviolet astronomy and with the extension of interference spectroscopy into the far ultraviolet (Bradley 1968), sophisticated optical techniques can now be employed at these wavelengths. On the Sun, the M gn resonance lines consist of a broad absorption with a pronounced emission core similar to the H and K lines of Ca 11, but with more prominent emission and absorption features, so that the Mg 11H and K lines are much more sensitive indicators of chromospheric phenomena. The discovery (Kachalov & Yakovleva, 1962) of structure in the emission core, giving a doubly reversed profile, confirmed the similarity with CAII. The structure of the emission core was well resolved in high resolution {ca. 3 pm) echelle spectrograms obtained with a Sun-pointed rocket (Purcell, Garrett & Tousey 1963). These echelle line profiles were, however, composite ones averaged over one third of the solar disk, so that it was not possible to distinguish between profiles from quiet and active regions, or to determine centre-to-limb variations.


2000 ◽  
Vol 39 (25) ◽  
pp. 4513
Author(s):  
Raymond G. Ohl ◽  
Timo T. Saha ◽  
Scott D. Friedman ◽  
Robert H. Barkhouser ◽  
H. Warren Moos

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