HST Field Descriptions

You may submit queries using any of the fields listed below. The "Column label" is the name displayed on the search forms and in search results. The "Column name" is the actual column name in the table and needs to be specified in GET requests. (See the MAST Services web page for information on submitting GET requests.) If the "Column name" is in italics, it means the table is indexed on that field and queries with that field will run faster. Clicking on "Data Type" entries will display information on search options.

When using the "user-specified field" form element on a MAST search form, simply select the column "label" in the forms pulldown menu and type in the qualification in the adjacent box. If you specify constraints on the same column in more than one form element, they will all be included in the query and you may not get results you expect. Note the entries in the table below may be sorted by clicking on the column headings.

Catalog Description of HST Table
Last Update: January 22, 2010

Column Name	Column Label	Description	Examples/Valid Values	Data Type
Column Name	Column Label	Description	Examples/Valid Values	Data Type
sci_data_set_name	Dataset	Data set name First character indicates instrument; L=COS; I=WFC3; J=ACS; N=NICMOS; O=STIS; U=WFPC2; W=WFPC; X=FOC; Y=FOS; Z=GHRS; F=FGS; V=HSP;	9 character name; e.g. J8BA7JCAQ, O4140Q020	string
sci_archive_class	Archive Class	Data file classification	AST, CAL	string
sci_program_id	Prog ID	Internal program id	8G6, 9FA, 8M8, 4QA, etc.	string
sci_obset_id	Obset ID	This is usually the same as the visit number, though in a small number of cases it will be different. The obset ID is used as the fourth and fifth letters of a dataset name.	10, 42, G1, GA, H6, etc	string
sci_obsnum	Obsnum	Observation number from the SOGS header	01, 02, RO, 011, AK, 070, etc.	string
sci_asn_id	Asn ID	Same as dataset name where it exists	null or names like O4QA01010, J8ZO02010, etc.	string
sci_targname	Target Name	Observer assigned target name; uppercase; no blank characters; spaces sometimes filled with - ; use with wildcards	e.g. ETA-CAR, A+81D266, ANY, PLUTO12, NGC188/54	string
sci_target_descrip	Target Descrip	Target description (uppercase); Use with wild card	Wide variety of target types in differing configurations ; e.g. CLUSTER OF GALAXIES;RICH CLUSTER;HIGH REDSHIFT CLUSTER (Z>0.5); ; STAR;WIND;WOLF RAYET;ISM;RING NEBULA;EMISSION LINE NEBULA;EJECTA;	string
sci_broad_category	Broad Category	Target classification Use with wild card; e.g. *DWARF NOVA*	over 286 combinations; e.g. CLUSTER OF GALAXIES;GALAXY, SOLAR SYSTEM, STELLAR CLUSTER, STAR,T TAURI STAR	string
sci_ra	RA (J2000)	Right Ascension (J2000)	range -90 to 360 deg	ra
sci_dec	Dec (J2000)	Declination (J2000)	range -90 to +90 deg	dec
sci_refnum	Ref	The number of known literature references associated with the listed proposal ID (HST) or data set name.	0 to 248	integer
sci_ra_v1	Ra V1 (J2000)	RA at V1 position	range 0 to 360 deg	ra
sci_dec_v1	Dec V1 (J2000)	Dec at V1 position	Range -90 to +90 deg	dec
sci_expflag	Exp Flag	Exposure interruption indicator	NORMAL, INCOMPLETE, UNCERTAIN, INTERRUPTED,EXTENDED, PREDICTED, INDETERMINATE, UNKNOWN, EXCESSIVE DOW, DETOFF	string
sci_start_time	Start Time	Observation start time	Apr 24 1990 to present	datetime
sci_stop_time	Stop Time	Observation stop time	Apr 24 1990 to present	datetime
sci_actual_duration	Exp Time	Exposure time	range: 0.00 - 230414.5 seconds	float
sci_instrume	Instrument	Instrument used	ACS, COS, FGS, FOC, FOS, HRS, HSP, NICMOS, STIS, WFC3, WFPC, WFPC2	string
sci_instrument_config	Instrument Config	Instrument configuration	ACS/HRC, ACS/SBC, ACS/WFC, COS/FUV, COS/NUV, FGS, FOC/288, FOC/48, FOC/96, FOS/BL, FOS/RD, HRS, HSP/PMT/VIS, HSP/POL, HSP/UNK/PMT, HSP/UNK/POL, HSP/UNK/UV1, HSP/UNK/UV2, HSP/UNK/VIS, HSP/UV1, HSP/UV2, HSP/UV2/UV1, HSP/VIS, HSP/VIS/PMT, NIC1, NIC2, NIC3, PC, S/C, STIS/CCD, STIS/FUV-MAMA, STIS/NUV-MAMA,WFC, WFC3/IR,WFC3/UVIS, WFPC2	string
sci_operating_mode	Operating Mode	Operating mode	ACQ, LOS, MAP, OCC, POS, DATA, RAMP, SCAN, SPEC, ACCUM, IMAGE, OSCAN, RAPID, TRANS, UVOBS, WSCAN, DEFCAL, PERIOD, SINGLE, UNKNOWN, ACQ/PEAK, STAR-SKY, TIME-TAG, WALKDOWN, BRIGHTOBJ, PHOTOSCAN, ACQ/BINARY, ACQ/PEAKUP, MULTIACCUM, ENGINEERING, PULSEHEIGHT, ACQ/FIRMWARE	string
sci_aper_1234	Apertures	Aperture configuration See <a href="/hst/aperturelist.html"> a complete list</a>	Examples for WFPC2: PC1, WF2, WF3, WF4, WFALL; Examples for ACS: WFC, HRC, SBC; Examples for STIS: 25MAMA, 50CCD, F25QTZ, 50CORON; Examples for NICMOS: NIC1, NIC2-FIX, NIC2-CORON1	string
sci_spec_1234	Filters/Gratings	Filter used. See a more complete list Sometimes combined so wildcard search may be needed	Over 850 options:; examples: G160L, G270M, G230LB, F300W	string
sci_spectral_res	Spectral Res	spectral resolution	range 0.0 - 114000.0	float
sci_spectrum_end	Spectrum End	Maximum wavelength for spectrum	range 0 to 30000 Angstroms	float
sci_spectrum_start	Spectrum Start	Minimum wavelength for spectrum	range 0 to 30000 Angstroms	float
sci_bandwidth	Bandwidth	Bandwidth of the data or RMS bandwidth of the photmode (NICMOS) or filter plus detector (ACS).	WFC3 200-1700nm (2000-17000 A); ACS/WFC 3700 - 11000 A; ACS/HRC 2000 - 11000 A; ACS/SBC 1150 - 1700 A; WFPC2: 21.0 - 5365; COS/FUV 1150 - 2050 Angstroms (115 -205 nm); COS/NUV 1700 - 3200 Angstroms (170-320 nm); STIS: -1934. - 5030.0; NICMOS: 0.8 - 2.5 microns (8000-25000 A); GHRS: 650 - 1000; FOS: 450 - 7350; WFPC: 20 - 4000; FOC: 208 - 2726 Angstroms	float
sci_central_wavelength	Central Wavelength	central wavelength	Range 0.0 - 23968.977 Angstroms	float
sci_dispersion	Dispersion	Dispersion	Range: 0 - 70.280000	float
sci_pixel_res	Pixel Res	pixel resolution	range 0.0 to 3600.0 arcsec/pixel	float
sci_fgslock	FGS Lock	Fine Guidance Sensors lock	FINE, GYROS, COARSE, FINE/GY, UNKNOWN	string
sci_mtflag	MT Flag	Moving Target Flag (T=Moving Target)	F, T	string
sci_pep_id	Proposal ID	Integer assign to each proposal	1012 to 12045	integer
sci_pi_last_name	PI Last Name	PI last name (uppercase)	FORD, LEMMON, etc	ustring
sci_release_date	Release Date	Date data become publicly available	May 9, 1990 - present	datetime
sci_v3_pos_angle	V3 Pos Angle	direction in degrees east from north that the tip of the L shape formed by the 3 WF chips would point	range: 0 to +360 degrees	float
sci_ecliptic_latitude	Ecliptic Latitude	Ecliptic Latitude	range: -90 to +90 deg	float
sci_ecliptic_longitude	Ecliptic Longitude	Ecliptic Longitude	Range: 0 to 360 deg	float
sci_galactic_latitude	Galactic Latitude	Galactic Latitude	Range: -90 to +90 deg	float
sci_galactic_longitude	Galactic Longitude	Galactic Longitude	Range: 0 to 360 deg	float
sci_sun_alt	Sun Alt	Altitude of the sun above the Earth's limb	range -66.286072 to 114 degrees	float
sci_pa_aper	PA Aper	Position angle of aperture	range -360 to +360 degrees	float
sci_costar_deploy	COSTAR	indicates if COSTAR was deployed	F, T	string
sci_aec	AEC	Observation type C=Calibration, S=Science; The default is 'S'. If being accessed as a GET request or a web service and you would like both S and C, specifiy sci_aec=%	C, S	string
sci_fov_config	FOV Config	Field of view configuration	SM-1, SM-2, LAUNCH	string
sci_generation_date	Generation Date	Date data came from OPUS	range: Feb 12 1992 - current	datetime
sci_archive_date	Archive Date	Date data written to hard media	range Dec 23, 1993 - present	datetime
sci_preview_name	Preview Name	Preview name (generally the same as the data set name)	J9FAHGH5Q, etc	string
sci_obs_type	Obs Type	type of observation: spectrum, image	spectrum, image	string
sci_hlsp	High-Level Science Products	Number of known High Level Science Products	null, or 1 to 2195	integer
sci_status	Status	Flags public data	Public, Proprietary	string