Hubble Space Telescope · 1989–91

Hubble imaging performance

The OTA Handbook, PSF simulations, and the first account of on-orbit image quality.

Role

ESA astronomer at STScI; HST Telescope Scientist

Key paper

Burrows et al. 1991, ApJ 369, L21

Handbook

HST Optical Telescope Assembly Handbook v1.0 (1989; reprinted 1990)

Chris wrote the Hubble Optical Telescope Assembly Handbook, which described the telescope, its focal plane and throughput, and its point-spread function, with detailed simulations for observers planning observations.

After launch he led the paper that set out Hubble's actual imaging performance. The 1991 ApJ Letter reported that the telescope suffered from spherical aberration: the specification called for 70% of the energy within a 0.1 arcsec radius, while the best focus delivered about 16%. The paper also assessed pointing stability and the consequences for the science programme.

Papers

• 1991
  The imaging performance of the Hubble Space Telescope

  Burrows, C. J.; Holtzman, J. A.; Faber, S. M.; Bely, P. Y.; Hasan, H.; Lynds, C. R.; Schroeder, D.

  ApJ 369, L21

  ADSPDF
• 1995
  Phase-retrieval analysis of pre- and post-repair Hubble Space Telescope images

  Krist, J. E.; Burrows, C. J.

  Applied Optics 34(22), 4951

  DOI
• 1990
  Hubble Space Telescope Optical Telescope Assembly Handbook, v1.0

  Burrows, C.

  STScI; NASA-CR-189751

  NTRSPDF