Open AccessAstrometric Calibration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Author(s) -
Jeffrey R. Pier,
Jeffrey A. Munn,
Robert B. Hindsley,
G. S. Hennessy,
Stephen M. Kent,
Robert H. Lupton,
Željko Ivezić
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the astronomical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.61
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1538-3881
pISSN - 0004-6256
DOI - 10.1086/346138
Subject(s) - sky , astrometry , calibration , physics , refraction , remote sensing , systematic error , random error , atmospheric refraction , satellite , optics , geodesy , astrophysics , astronomy , geology , statistics , stars , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The astrometric calibration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey is described. Forpoint sources brighter than r ~ 20 the astrometric accuracy is 45milliarcseconds (mas) rms per coordinate when reduced against the USNO CCDAstrograph Catalog, and 75 mas rms when reduced against Tycho-2, with anadditional 20 - 30 mas systematic error in both cases. The rms errors aredominated by anomalous refraction and random errors in the primary referencecatalogs. The relative astrometric accuracy between the r filter and each ofthe other filters (u g i z) is 25 - 35 mas rms. At the survey limit (r ~ 22),the astrometric accuracy is limited by photon statistics to approximately 100mas rms for typical seeing. Anomalous refraction is shown to contain componentscorrelated over two or more degrees on the sky.Comment: 47 pages, 24 figures (1 color), accepted by The Astronomical Journa
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