Version 17.0 – December 2024
PDF version

Wide Field Camera 3 Instrument Handbook for Cycle 33

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User Support

Please contact the HST Help Desk for assistance. We encourage users to access the new web portal where you can submit your questions directly to the appropriate team of experts.

Web: http://hsthelp.stsci.edu
E-mail: help@stsci.edu

Additional Resources

Information and other resources are available from the STScI website:

http://www.stsci.edu/hst/instrumentation/wfc3

Revision History

Version	Date	Editors
17.0	December 2024	Mariarosa Marinelli and Joel Green
16.0	January 2024	Mariarosa Marinelli and Linda Dressel
15.0	February 2023	Linda Dressel and Mariarosa Marinelli
14.0	January 2022	Linda Dressel
13.0	January 2021	Linda Dressel
12.0	December 2019	Linda Dressel
11.0	January 2019	Linda Dressel
10.0	May 2018	Linda Dressel
9.0	January 2017	Linda Dressel
8.0	January 2016	Linda Dressel
7.0	January 2015	Linda Dressel
6.0	January 2014	Linda Dressel
5.0	December 2012	Linda Dressel
4.0	December 2011	Linda Dressel
3.0	December 2010	Linda Dressel
2.1	June 25, 2010	Linda Dressel, Michael H. Wong, Cheryl Pavlovsky, Knox S. Long
2.0	January 2010	Michael H. Wong, Cheryl Pavlovsky, Knox S. Long
1.0	December 2007	Howard E. Bond and Jessica Kim Quijano

Citation

In publications, refer to this document as:

Marinelli, M. & Green, J. 2024. “Wide Field Camera 3 Instrument Handbook, Version 17.0” (Baltimore: STScI)

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WFC3 Instrument Handbook
- • Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: Introduction to WFC3
  - • 1.1 New for Cycle 33
  - • 1.2. Overview
  - • 1.3 Key Features of WFC3
  - • 1.4 WFC3 Quick Reference Guide
  - • 1.5 Special Considerations for Cycle 33
  - • 1.6 Sources of Further Information
  - • 1.7 The WFC3 Instrument Team at STScI
- Chapter 2: WFC3 Instrument Description
- Chapter 3: Choosing the Optimum HST Instrument
- Chapter 4: Designing a Phase I WFC3 Proposal
  - • 4.1 Phase I and Phase II Proposals
  - • 4.2 Preparing a Phase I Proposal
- Chapter 5: WFC3 Detector Characteristics and Performance
- Chapter 6: UVIS Imaging with WFC3
  - • 6.1 WFC3 UVIS Imaging
  - • 6.2 Specifying a UVIS Observation
  - • 6.3 UVIS Channel Characteristics
  - • 6.4 UVIS Field Geometry
  - • 6.5 UVIS Spectral Elements
  - • 6.6 UVIS Optical Performance
  - • 6.7 UVIS Exposure and Readout
  - • 6.8 UVIS Sensitivity
  - • 6.9 Charge Transfer Efficiency
  - • 6.10 Other Considerations for UVIS Imaging
  - • 6.11 UVIS Observing Strategies
- Chapter 7: IR Imaging with WFC3
  - • 7.1 WFC3 IR Imaging
  - • 7.2 Specifying an IR Observation
  - • 7.3 IR Channel Characteristics
  - • 7.4 IR Field Geometry
  - • 7.5 IR Spectral Elements
  - • 7.6 IR Optical Performance
  - • 7.7 IR Exposure and Readout
  - • 7.8 IR Sensitivity
  - • 7.9 Other Considerations for IR Imaging
  - • 7.10 IR Observing Strategies
- Chapter 8: Slitless Spectroscopy with WFC3
- Chapter 9: WFC3 Exposure-Time Calculation
  - • 9.1 Overview
  - • 9.2 The WFC3 Exposure Time Calculator - ETC
  - • 9.3 Calculating Sensitivities from Tabulated Data
  - • 9.4 Count Rates: Imaging
  - • 9.5 Count Rates: Slitless Spectroscopy
  - • 9.6 Estimating Exposure Times
  - • 9.7 Sky Background
  - • 9.8 Interstellar Extinction
  - • 9.9 Exposure-Time Calculation Examples
- Chapter 10: Overheads and Orbit Time Determinations
  - • 10.1 Overview
  - • 10.2 Observatory Overheads
  - • 10.3 Instrument Overheads
  - • 10.4 Orbit Use Examples
- Appendix A: WFC3 Filter Throughputs
  - • A.1 Introduction
  - A.2 Throughputs and Signal-to-Noise Ratio Data
    - • UVIS F200LP
    - • UVIS F218W
    - • UVIS F225W
    - • UVIS F275W
    - • UVIS F280N
    - • UVIS F300X
    - • UVIS F336W
    - • UVIS F343N
    - • UVIS F350LP
    - • UVIS F373N
    - • UVIS F390M
    - • UVIS F390W
    - • UVIS F395N
    - • UVIS F410M
    - • UVIS F438W
    - • UVIS F467M
    - • UVIS F469N
    - • UVIS F475W
    - • UVIS F475X
    - • UVIS F487N
    - • UVIS F502N
    - • UVIS F547M
    - • UVIS F555W
    - • UVIS F600LP
    - • UVIS F606W
    - • UVIS F621M
    - • UVIS F625W
    - • UVIS F631N
    - • UVIS F645N
    - • UVIS F656N
    - • UVIS F657N
    - • UVIS F658N
    - • UVIS F665N
    - • UVIS F673N
    - • UVIS F680N
    - • UVIS F689M
    - • UVIS F763M
    - • UVIS F775W
    - • UVIS F814W
    - • UVIS F845M
    - • UVIS F850LP
    - • UVIS F953N
    - • UVIS FQ232N
    - • UVIS FQ243N
    - • UVIS FQ378N
    - • UVIS FQ387N
    - • UVIS FQ422M
    - • UVIS FQ436N
    - • UVIS FQ437N
    - • UVIS FQ492N
    - • UVIS FQ508N
    - • UVIS FQ575N
    - • UVIS FQ619N
    - • UVIS FQ634N
    - • UVIS FQ672N
    - • UVIS FQ674N
    - • UVIS FQ727N
    - • UVIS FQ750N
    - • UVIS FQ889N
    - • UVIS FQ906N
    - • UVIS FQ924N
    - • UVIS FQ937N
    - • IR F098M
    - • IR F105W
    - • IR F110W
    - • IR F125W
    - • IR F126N
    - • IR F127M
    - • IR F128N
    - • IR F130N
    - • IR F132N
    - • IR F139M
    - • IR F140W
    - • IR F153M
    - • IR F160W
    - • IR F164N
    - • IR F167N
- Appendix B: Geometric Distortion
  - • B.1 Overview
  - • B.2 UVIS Channel
  - • B.3 IR Channel
- Appendix C: Dithering and Mosaicking
  - • C.1 Why Mosaicking and Dithering are Needed
  - • C.2 WFC3 Patterns
- Appendix D: Bright-Object Constraints and Image Persistence
  - • D.1 UVIS Channel
  - • D.2 IR Channel
- Appendix E: Reduction and Calibration of WFC3 Data
  - • E.1 Overview
  - • E.2 The STScI Reduction and Calibration Pipeline
  - • E.3 The SMOV Calibration Plan
  - • E.4 The Cycle 17 Calibration Plan
  - • E.5 The Cycle 18 Calibration Plan
  - • E.6 The Cycle 19 Calibration Plan
  - • E.7 The Cycle 20 Calibration Plan
  - • E.8 The Cycle 21 Calibration Plan
  - • E.9 The Cycle 22 Calibration Plan
  - • E.10 The Cycle 23 Calibration Plan
  - • E.11 The Cycle 24 Calibration Plan
  - • E.12 The Cycle 25 Calibration Plan
  - • E.13 The Cycle 26 Calibration Plan
  - • E.14 The Cycle 27 Calibration Plan
  - • E.15 The Cycle 28 Calibration Plan
  - • E.16 The Cycle 29 Calibration Plan
  - • E.17 The Cycle 30 Calibration Plan
  - • E.18 The Cycle 31 Calibration Plan
  - • E.19 The Cycle 32 Calibration Plan
- • Glossary

WFC3 Instrument Handbook

Wide Field Camera 3 Instrument Handbook for Cycle 33

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Revision History

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