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ACS Instrument Handbook
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Change Log

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Changes made to this document mid-Cycle are logged here.

8 January 2026: The empirically measured sky values for the SBC given in Table 9.2 were corrected.

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ACS Instrument Handbook
- • Acknowledgments
- • Change Log
- • Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Considerations and Changes After SM4
  - • 2.1 SM4 Repair of ACS
  - • 2.2 ACS/WFC Observations in Cycle 33 and Beyond
  - • 2.3 Comparison of WFC and UVIS
  - • 2.4 Comparison of HRC and UVIS
  - • 2.5 Dithering Considerations
  - • 2.6 CTE Considerations
  - • 2.7 SBC Considerations
- Chapter 3: ACS Capabilities, Design and Operations
  - • 3.1 ACS Location in the HST Focal Plane
  - • 3.2 Instrument Capabilities
  - • 3.3 Instrument Design
  - • 3.4 Basic Instrument Operations
  - • 3.5 ACS Quick Reference Guide
- Chapter 4: Detector Performance
  - • 4.1 Overview
  - • 4.2 The CCDs
  - • 4.3 CCD Operations and Limitations
  - • 4.4 The SBC MAMA
  - • 4.5 SBC Operations and Limitations
  - • 4.6 SBC Bright-Object Limits
- Chapter 5: Imaging
- Chapter 6: Polarimetry, Coronagraphy, Prism and Grism Spectroscopy
  - • 6.1 Polarimetry
  - • 6.2 Coronagraphy
  - • 6.3 Grism and Prism Spectroscopy
- Chapter 7: Observing Techniques
  - • 7.1 Designing an ACS Observing Proposal
  - • 7.2 SBC Bright Object Protection
  - • 7.3 Operating Modes
  - • 7.4 Patterns and Dithering
  - • 7.5 A Road Map for Optimizing Observations
  - • 7.6 CCD Gain Selection
  - • 7.7 ACS Apertures
  - • 7.8 Specifying Orientation on the Sky
  - • 7.9 Parallel Observations
  - • 7.10 Pointing Stability for Moving Targets
- Chapter 8: Overheads and Orbit-Time Determination
  - • 8.1 Overview
  - • 8.2 ACS Exposure Overheads
  - • 8.3 Orbit Use Determination Examples
- Chapter 9: Exposure-Time Calculations
  - • 9.1 Overview
  - • 9.2 Determining Count Rates from Sensitivities
  - • 9.3 Computing Exposure Times
  - • 9.4 Detector and Sky Backgrounds
  - • 9.5 Extinction Correction
  - • 9.6 Exposure-Time Examples
  - • 9.7 Tabular Sky Backgrounds
- Chapter 10: Imaging Reference Material
  - • 10.1 Introduction
  - • 10.2 Using the Information in this Chapter
  - 10.3 Throughputs and Correction Tables
    - • WFC F435W
    - • WFC F475W
    - • WFC F502N
    - • WFC F550M
    - • WFC F555W
    - • WFC F606W
    - • WFC F625W
    - • WFC F658N
    - • WFC F660N
    - • WFC F775W
    - • WFC F814W
    - • WFC F850LP
    - • WFC G800L
    - • WFC CLEAR
    - • HRC F220W
    - • HRC F250W
    - • HRC F330W
    - • HRC F344N
    - • HRC F435W
    - • HRC F475W
    - • HRC F502N
    - • HRC F550M
    - • HRC F555W
    - • HRC F606W
    - • HRC F625W
    - • HRC F658N
    - • HRC F660N
    - • HRC F775W
    - • HRC F814W
    - • HRC F850LP
    - • HRC F892N
    - • HRC G800L
    - • HRC PR200L
    - • HRC CLEAR
    - • SBC F115LP
    - • SBC F122M
    - • SBC F125LP
    - • SBC F140LP
    - • SBC F150LP
    - • SBC F165LP
    - • SBC PR110L
    - • SBC PR130L
  - • 10.4 Geometric Distortion in ACS
- • Glossary