Wide-Field Camera 3 for the Hubble Space Telescope

摘要

In June 1997, NASA made the decision to extend the end of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) mission from 2005 until 2010. As a result, the age of the instruments on board the HST became a consideration. After careful study, NASA decided to ensure the imaging capabilities of the HST by replacing the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) with a low-cost facility instrument, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). This paper provides an overview of the scientific goals and capabilities of the instrument.