Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2

To allow scientists to view specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum the WFPC2 featured a rotating wheel which moves different optical filters into the lightpath (between the WFPC2's aperture and the CCD detectors).

The 48 filter elements included: As predicted, over the course of its mission the WFPC2 experienced degradation of the CCDs, resulting in defective ("hot") pixels.

The telescope's operators performed monthly calibration tests to catalog these; with the WFPC's aperture closed a number of long exposures are taken, and pixels which differ significantly from near black are flagged.

To avoid false positives caused by cosmic rays tripping a given pixel, the output of different calibration shots is compared.

It was replaced by Wide Field Camera 3, which features two UV/visible detecting CCDs, each 2048x4096 pixels, and a separate IR CCD of 1024 x 1024, capable of receiving infrared radiation up to 1700 nm.

Brought back to Earth by the U.S. Space Shuttle, the WFPC is loaded for transport after display at JPL on its way to its final home at the National Air and Space Museum in 2010
Quantum efficiency of the CCD chip in the camera
Picture of small section of the Carina Nebula created from images taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. [ 3 ]