Mapping The Sky - Surveys With Schmidt Telescopes

Abstract

This paper describes the sky surveys carried out over the past 30 years by the three large Schmidt Telescopes; the Palomar 1.2m Schmidt, the ESO 1m Schmidt and the UK 1.2m Schmidt. Developments in photographic technology, the reproduction of the surveys as sky atlases and problems associated with the storage of original plates are discussed. Brief reference is also made to limited purpose surveys which often address one specific research problem and to possible future developments in this branch of astronomy.