Notes on UK Schmidt Photographic Request Form

The form is intended for applicants who require new or existing UKST plates, if SuperCOSMOS scans are also required then section 6 should be completed. Users who already have UKST plates on loan to them but require SuperCOSMOS scans can miss out sections 4 and 5.

Applicants requesting SuperCOSMOS scans of non-UKST material should complete the non-UKST application form.

Users wanting UKST plates measured on other machines (eg APM) must first apply for the plates to be put on loan to them using this form.

Survey A-grades are not freely available for loan but can usually be made available to the measuring machines.

There is a charge for any copies on film or glass requested.

More information can be found in the UKSTU and SuperCOSMOS web pages.

Notes for Section 3

• Use standard ESO/SERC survey field centres if possible. Otherwise give name of object (e.g. NGC 200). Give reasons in section 4 (ii) for non-standard centres.
• Co-ordinates are required for non-survey centres (normally to nearest degree) but may be omitted for standard fields.
• Details of the emulsions and filters available can be found in the UKSTU web pages. For new exposures the only emulsion now available is 4415 on film. This can be used with either the UG1, AAOV (not full aperture), OG590, R630 or HA659 (not full aperture) to obtain U, V, OR, R or H-alpha band exposures repspectively. It is not currently possible to take NEW B or Bj band exposures.
• Indicate clearly whether you are giving magnitude limit or time limit (i.e. do not write 20m which is ambiguous). For sky limited plates write lim.
• The limit for taking survey plates is 3 arcsec. Proposals which can accept slightly poorer conditions stand a much better chance of being completed quickly than those which require the best conditions.
• Aux. If an objective prism is required write P and give full details of dispersion, orientation and widening required in section 4 (ii). If a sub-beam prism is required write SBP - any area of special interest should be noted in section 4 (ii) because the plate centre may have to be moved to avoid special vignetting problems.
• The No. of Plates column should be used to indicate how many identical plates of a particular type are required (e.g. for variable star projects or to improve photometric accuracy).
• Indicate in section 4 (ii) or section 5 (ii) whether it is essential for you to have the original plate.
• Indicate in the Copies column whether you wish to receive copies of the original and, if so, how many and whether they are to be film or glass. Note: film is much easier for handling and despatch; the normal density of all copies is 0.5. You will be charged for any copies made.
• The Destination column should be used to indicate where the material, in particular the original plates, should be sent. (In many instances the destination is not with the applicant but one of the measuring machines, SuperCOSMOS or APM).