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Article <1996Nov15.090456.1@stosc>
From: dempsey@stsci.edu (Faraway, So Close)
Subject: Re: Hale Bopp photos
Date: 15 Nov 96 09:04:56 EST
In article <328BFC0C.E4@whidbey.net>,
Mark <mat@whidbey.net> writes:
> Jonathan Silverlight wrote:
>> In article <01bbd061$06d8d7a0$89462399@default>,
>> "Ray Laliberty" (ssoft@gte.net) writes:
>> > it appears that ALL Hubble Space Telescope datasets
are subject to a wait
>> >period of 1 year. So exactly 1 year from the time
the data was collected,
>> >NASA will release the data to the public, not
necessarily including
>> >the finished photograph.
>
>> This can't be right. The pictures of a Martian dust
storm that were
>> released recently were taken in September and October
1996, and
>> the pictures of Neptune were taken in August.
>
> I agree Jonathan. If memory serves me right HST pics of
comet
> Hyuatake (butchered the spelling) were IMMEDIATELY made
available
> on the web, and not crappy low-res .jpgs either. If you
doubt me
> check out NASA web sight, over 1,000 comet Hyuatake pics.
Again I
> am just curious what's up???? The amateur pics posted on the
web
> are very interesting, numerous "jets" shooting
from the comet etc.
> It would be nice to see what the HST is seeing of this very
peculiar
> comet.
It depends mainly on the PI (Principal investigator) of the project. Sometimes, they can process the data right away and release the results. There are also some cases where the director uses discretionary time for an unexpected occurance, and then makes them public right away. An example of this is the Hubble Deep field (well not unexpected but made public right away so anyone can work on the data). Sometimes, an image is taken only for planning purposes. I can't speak to the comet case directly but it depends. HST is observing Hale-Bopp and some nice data will come out, don't worry.