From: starrfie@hydro.la.asu.edu (Sumner Starrfield) Subject: Palomar Sky Survey available on net Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 11:12:29 MST Automated Plate Scanner Catalog of the Palomar Sky Survey now available to the community The APS Catalog of the POSS I (first epoch) will be available to the astronomical community via NASA's Astrophysical Data System (ADS) with the January 11, 1994 release of ADS, and will be demonstrated at the Washington, DC AAS meeting January 11-15. The APS Catalog is the result of APS scans of the blue and red glass duplicates of the original Palomar Sky Survey. All plates with galactic latitude greater than |20| have been scanned (664) plate pairs). All matched images are cataloged. The data for each matched image includes B1950.0 positions, magnitudes (O = blue, E = red), colors, image class, plus other image parameters. More detailed information about the operation of the APS, the scanning parameters, and the characteristics of the APS Catalog are given in PASP 105, 521, 1993. The description of our star/galaxy separation with a neural network is given in A.J. 103, 318, 1992, and PASP 105, 1354, 1993. The initial release will include a special group of nine POSS I fields centered at the North Galactic Pole. For demonstration purposes, this set of fields was processed only down to a brightness of about 20th magnitude, significantly above the plate limit. Several additional POSS fields fully processed to the plate limit (about 22nd mag in "O," 21st in "E") will also be available at the release. Additional fields will be added as we process them. We have also prepared a searchable list, APS_PLATELIST, which is an index of the POSS plate fields with the characteristics of their databases for access by ADS users. The APS_PLATELIST will include all of the POSS fields, allowing users to determine which fields are currently available and which correspond to their region of interest in the sky. This list will also include the field center, RA and DEC ranges, the characteristics of the astrometric and photometric calibrations, numbers of images classified as stars and as galaxies, plus other relevant information. Currently, each POSS field and plate exists on ADS as a separate catalog, and the user must request each of theses sub-databases separately. We are currently preparing software to eliminate the need for the individual listings and to enable efficient multiple field positional searches. For further information on the APS Catalog of the POSS I, please email aps@aps1.spa.umn.edu, and for access to the ADS check the FAQ.
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