An Improved Proper-Motion Catalog Combining USNO-B and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Abstract

An improved proper-motion catalog is presented, combining the USNO-B and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) catalogs in the area of sky covered by SDSS Data Release I (DR1; 2099 deg2). USNO-B positions are recalibrated using SDSS galaxies, and proper motions are recomputed including both the USNO-B and SDSS positions. Statistical errors in the USNO-B proper motions are decreased by roughly 20%-30%, systematic errors are greatly reduced, and the proper motions are placed on an absolute reference frame. Requiring a match to an SDSS object removes the large number of false high proper motion objects in USNO-B. The resultant catalog is 90% complete to g less than 19.7, with statistical errors in the component proper motions of roughly 3- 3.5 mas yr(-1), substantially smaller systematic errors, and a contamination rate of less than 0.5%. A number of studies are currently underway using proper motions from this catalog. The catalog is available via ftp.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA593816

Entities

People

  • Blaise Canzian
  • David G. Monet
  • G. S. Hennessy
  • Hugh C. Harris
  • Jeffrey A. Munn
  • Jeffrey R. Pier
  • Robert B. Hindsley
  • Robert H. Lupton
  • Stephen E. Levine
  • Zeljko Ivezic

Organizations

  • United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Algorithms
  • Buildings And Structures
  • Calibration
  • Contamination
  • Data Processing
  • Databases
  • Detection
  • Errors
  • Histograms
  • Instructions
  • Observation
  • Observatories
  • Photographic Plates
  • Photography
  • Photometry
  • Radial Velocity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Regression Analysis.