Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report

Jon A. Holtzman; Edward J. Groth; Robert M. Light; S. M. Faber; Deidre Hunter; Earl J. O'Neil; Edward J. Shaya; William A. Baum; Bel Campbell; Arthur Code; Douglas G. Currie; S. P. Ewald; J. Jeff Hester; T. Kelsall; Tod R. Lauer; Roger Lynds; Donald P. Schneider; P. Kenneth Seidelmann; James A. Westphal

doi:10.1086/185953

Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report

Jon A. Holtzman, Edward J. Groth, Robert M. Light, S. M. Faber, Deidre Hunter, Earl J. O'Neil, Edward J. Shaya, William A. Baum, Bel Campbell, Arthur Code, Douglas G. Currie, S. P. Ewald, J. Jeff Hester, T. Kelsall, Tod R. Lauer, Roger Lynds, Donald P. Schneider, P. Kenneth Seidelmann, James A. Westphal

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23 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe the prospects for the use of the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) for stellar photometry. The large halos of the point-spread function (PSF) resulting from spherical aberration and from spatial, temporal, and color variations of the PSF are the main limitations to accurate photometry. Degradations caused by crowding are exacerbated by the halos of the PSF. Here we attempt to quantify these effects and determine the current accuracy of stellar photometry with the WFPC. In realistic cases, the brighter stars in crowded fields have 0.09 mag errors; fainter stars have larger errors depending on the degree of crowding. We find that measuring Cepheids in Virgo Cluster galaxies is not currently possible without inordinate increases in exposure times.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L35-L40
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	369
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/185953
State	Published - Mar 10 1991

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/185953

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Holtzman, J. A., Groth, E. J., Light, R. M., Faber, S. M., Hunter, D., O'Neil, E. J., Shaya, E. J., Baum, W. A., Campbell, B., Code, A., Currie, D. G., Ewald, S. P., Hester, J. J., Kelsall, T., Lauer, T. R., Lynds, R., Schneider, D. P., Seidelmann, P. K., & Westphal, J. A. (1991). Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report. Astrophysical Journal, 369(2 PART 2), L35-L40. https://doi.org/10.1086/185953

@article{eb678534b91b441d88b1ef10408ef27a,

title = "Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report",

abstract = "We describe the prospects for the use of the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) for stellar photometry. The large halos of the point-spread function (PSF) resulting from spherical aberration and from spatial, temporal, and color variations of the PSF are the main limitations to accurate photometry. Degradations caused by crowding are exacerbated by the halos of the PSF. Here we attempt to quantify these effects and determine the current accuracy of stellar photometry with the WFPC. In realistic cases, the brighter stars in crowded fields have 0.09 mag errors; fainter stars have larger errors depending on the degree of crowding. We find that measuring Cepheids in Virgo Cluster galaxies is not currently possible without inordinate increases in exposure times.",

author = "Holtzman, {Jon A.} and Groth, {Edward J.} and Light, {Robert M.} and Faber, {S. M.} and Deidre Hunter and O'Neil, {Earl J.} and Shaya, {Edward J.} and Baum, {William A.} and Bel Campbell and Arthur Code and Currie, {Douglas G.} and Ewald, {S. P.} and Hester, {J. Jeff} and T. Kelsall and Lauer, {Tod R.} and Roger Lynds and Schneider, {Donald P.} and Seidelmann, {P. Kenneth} and Westphal, {James A.}",

year = "1991",

month = mar,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1086/185953",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "369",

pages = "L35--L40",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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Holtzman, JA, Groth, EJ, Light, RM, Faber, SM, Hunter, D, O'Neil, EJ, Shaya, EJ, Baum, WA, Campbell, B, Code, A, Currie, DG, Ewald, SP, Hester, JJ, Kelsall, T, Lauer, TR, Lynds, R, Schneider, DP, Seidelmann, PK & Westphal, JA 1991, 'Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 369, no. 2 PART 2, pp. L35-L40. https://doi.org/10.1086/185953

TY - JOUR

T1 - Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera

T2 - A progress report

AU - Holtzman, Jon A.

AU - Groth, Edward J.

AU - Light, Robert M.

AU - Faber, S. M.

AU - Hunter, Deidre

AU - O'Neil, Earl J.

AU - Shaya, Edward J.

AU - Baum, William A.

AU - Campbell, Bel

AU - Code, Arthur

AU - Currie, Douglas G.

AU - Ewald, S. P.

AU - Hester, J. Jeff

AU - Kelsall, T.

AU - Lauer, Tod R.

AU - Lynds, Roger

AU - Schneider, Donald P.

AU - Seidelmann, P. Kenneth

AU - Westphal, James A.

PY - 1991/3/10

Y1 - 1991/3/10

N2 - We describe the prospects for the use of the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) for stellar photometry. The large halos of the point-spread function (PSF) resulting from spherical aberration and from spatial, temporal, and color variations of the PSF are the main limitations to accurate photometry. Degradations caused by crowding are exacerbated by the halos of the PSF. Here we attempt to quantify these effects and determine the current accuracy of stellar photometry with the WFPC. In realistic cases, the brighter stars in crowded fields have 0.09 mag errors; fainter stars have larger errors depending on the degree of crowding. We find that measuring Cepheids in Virgo Cluster galaxies is not currently possible without inordinate increases in exposure times.

AB - We describe the prospects for the use of the Wide-Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) for stellar photometry. The large halos of the point-spread function (PSF) resulting from spherical aberration and from spatial, temporal, and color variations of the PSF are the main limitations to accurate photometry. Degradations caused by crowding are exacerbated by the halos of the PSF. Here we attempt to quantify these effects and determine the current accuracy of stellar photometry with the WFPC. In realistic cases, the brighter stars in crowded fields have 0.09 mag errors; fainter stars have larger errors depending on the degree of crowding. We find that measuring Cepheids in Virgo Cluster galaxies is not currently possible without inordinate increases in exposure times.

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Stellar photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field/Planetary Camera: A progress report

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