The HST UV Auroral Imaging Campaign of Jupiter and Saturn during the International Heliophysical Year

An extended campaign of observations of the UV auroral emissions from Jupiter and Saturn is scheduled for three periods beginning in Jan. 2007 and ending in late June 2008. This will be by far the most extensive series of remote high resolution imaging of planetary aurora to date, and should provide new physical insight into the cause and effect relationships governing the controlling processes for the giant planet auroral emissions. These observations will overlap with in situ measurements of local solar wind and magnetospheric plasma conditions by Cassini at Saturn in Jan. 2007 and by the New Horizons mission approaching Jupiter in Feb. 2007. The UV auroral emission brightness and distributions will also be compared with extrapolated estimates of the solar wind conditions near each planet from periods just before planetary opposition in Jan. 2007 (Saturn) and June 2007 (Jupiter). The HST observations will also be coordinated with ground-based observations of near-IR auroral and nonthermal radio emissions. This paper will give an overview of the program, including the schedule of HST observations and the schedule of known coordinated observations. While a preliminary schedule has been submitted for the HST observations, this schedule will be finalized only when the HST orbit is sufficiently well known for the periods of observation for detailed pointing to be specified. By the time of Fall AGU, it should be possible to show the detailed schedule and pointing for the Jan-Feb 2007 observations. The paper will include a presentation of the plans for the rapid reduction and distribution of the HST auroral images to the community.