Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey — Photographic Procedures

Abstract

When the Second Palomar Sky Survey started two years ago, the 48-inch telescope and building were in almost the same shape as they were when the first Sky Survey ended, except a little older. As we wanted the plates of this Sky Survey to be ( at least) as good as the Southern Hemisphere Sky Survey, we had to upgrade the general level of photography done at the telescope. Efforts were made to improve the telescope optical performance. A new plate storage freezer, bigger plate loading room, two new hypersensitisation systems, a new darkroom, new chemical mixing facility, and a new inspection room were several of the improvments made over the last two years. The maintenance priority the telescope had in respect of the 200″ or 60″ telescope was increased for this period. Certain facilities ( plate storage, chemical storage and mixing) were located in the two hundred inch dome. As photography is not used anymore at this telescope, all these facilities have been transferred to near the 48-inch. The following paper describes all the changes, and gives some first results. The description is given in a chronological way: from plate storage when the plate is received at Palomar from Kodak, to hypersensitization, exposure, processing, inspection and finally plate shipment to Caltech.