AAS 98-153

THE 488,006,860 STARS IN THE USNO-A1.0 CATALOG

D. G. Monet - U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station

Abstract

USNO-A1.0 (the largest star catalog ever compiled) is particularly useful for (a) computing the celestial coordinates of unknown or uncorrelated targets, and (b) removing star clutter so that such targets can be identified from a single image. By adopting catalog rather than mount-model astrometry, the accuracy of routine observations approaches that of the USNO-A1.0 catalog, about 0.25 arcsec. The density and completeness of USNO-A1.0 means that many catalog objects will be visible in images taken with most combinations of telescopes and image sensors. The spatially culled version (USNO-SA1.0) may be adequate for applications needing fewer reference objects.

Back