The SPM Catalog 1.0 contains the results of the Southern Proper Motion program (SPM) for an extended region around the South Galactic Pole. The SPM, which will eventually cover the sky south of Dec. = -17 degrees, includes absolute proper motions, positions, and B,V photographic photometry for stars in the magnitude range 5 < V < 18.5. The proper motions are measured relative to external galaxies and the positions are on the system of the ICRS via the Hipparcos/Tycho catalog, (equinox 2000, epoch 1991.25).
To obtain the Catalog via ftp, click here.
The SPM 1.0 consists of thirty SPM fields, 6.3° x 6.3°, on 5-degree centers, covering a total of 720 square degrees around the South Galactic Pole (SGP). Positions, proper motions, and photometry are based on two pairs of plates per field; first- and second-epoch plate pairs in both blue and visual passbands. Multiple measures have been combined in the Catalog to produce a single set of astrometric and photometric quantities for each object. In the figure above, every sixth entry in the Catalog is plotted. The higher density regions correspond to special input catalogs and to the positions of CCD photometric calibration exposures.
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* The SPM input list includes: randomly selected stars for the purpose of Galactic kinematic studies; reference stars required for the various astrometric and photometric reductions; galaxies, to determine the proper-motion zero point; and stars of special interest chosen from a variety of catalogs, including...
Other aspects of the Catalog:
Versions of the Catalog:
SPM Investigators
The SPM Team consists of Imants Platais, Vera Kozhurina-Platais, Terrence Girard, Carlos López, and René Méndez - all working tirelessly under the watchful eye of their fearless leader, William van Altena.
Any questions or problems concerning the SPM Catalog may be addressed to terry.girard_AT_yale.edu
Acknowledgements
An undertaking as immense as the SPM involves the hard work and support of a vast number of people. We wish to thank the many former and present members of the Cesco Observatory, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Observatorio Astronomico "Felix Aguilar", Yale Southern Observatory, and Yale University who have contributed to the SPM program over the years. Particular thanks go to the first-epoch observers, A. R. Klemola, A. G. Samuel, J. Gibson, and C. U. Cesco; the second-epoch observers, H. Mira, H. Lépez, J. Sanguin, M. Cesco, C. Vicentela, and J. Torres; New Haven researchers, J. Lee, T.-g. Yang, W.-Z. Ma, C. Lu; and enthusiastic volunteer assistants C. Predom, E. Wetherbee, D. Kocyla, R. Demartino, and M. Dzubaty. The SPM has also benefited from the support of the Directors of the OAFA, C. U. Cesco, J. A. López, E. Patiño, and E. Actis; as well as the President of UNSJ, T. A. Del Bono. Special thanks are reserved for the Scientific Director of the SPM program for many years, Adriaan J. Wesselink; and for Pierre Demarque, whose wholehearted support at a critical time assured the continuation of the SPM .
We are also pleased to acknowledge the aid and advice of Arnold Klemola, Burton Jones, and Robert Hanson of Lick Observatory, whose experience with the Northern Proper Motion Program made our job that much easier. We also wish to thank Harvey MacGillivray and Daryl Yentis for portions of the UK Schmidt/COSMOS Object Catalog, which have been invaluable to our input catalog preparation. And we are grateful to the Hipparcos Science Team, the U. S. Naval Observatory and the Space Telescope Science Institute for their assistance and helpful cooperation.
This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France.
The SPM Program is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation.
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This page last modified by T. Girard - 01/99..