Rare ESO/SERC Southern Sky Atlas, comprising 1195 (of 1212) 405 mm x 405 mm negative film plates

This is a unique opportunity to acquire a 98.5% complete set of the ESO/SERC Southern Sky Atlas, which is lacking only 17 plates – all the individual fields are present): firm price £500 (reduced from £600!) – a fraction of its original cost of DM 24,000.00, about £8000.00 (plus shipping) from the ESO in Germany. Buyer collects (from Eastbourne, East Sussex, England).

The ESO/SERC Southern Sky Survey was the first serious attempt to record the southern sky after the ambitious but unsuccessful Cart du Ciel. It covers the sky south of dec. –20º and is divided into 606 fields, spaced at 5º intervals. The plates were taken (on IIIa-J emulsion) using the 1.2 m UKST at Siding Spring and the ESO 1 m Schmidt in Chile, between 1974 and 1987. The former took the blue plates (3950–5400A), which cover 5.4º x 5.4º at a scale of 67.6 arcsec/mm, the latter the red plates (6300–6900A), which cover 6.4º x 6.4º at a scale of 67.2 arcsec/mm. The limiting mag. is about 22.5 in the blue, and the resolution and image detail shown on the film is much better than the in digitized version available online.

Peter's copy of the Atlas consists of 405 mm x 405 mm negative film plates, protected between transparent sheets sealed at the edges. (A few sets were also produced on glass) The 17 plates he is missing are J 77, 79, 81, 92, 102, 103, 143, 150, 218, 242, 299, 342 & 348 (blue) and R 197, 202, 374 & 456 (red) – seemingly random omissions, not the ‘best’ 17 plates!

Peter has tried to obtain copies of the missing plates from the ESO at Garching and the UK ATC, Edinburgh, but without success. However, a friend in Germany has said that he will scan the missing plates from another set, with minimal degradation/distortion, in which case Peter will forward the copies on to any purchaser of his incomplete set free of charge (though he can’t of course absolutely guarantee that he'll be able to obtain them).

Peter obviously appreciates that this is the SOUTHERN Sky Atlas rather than POSS I or II, but it is a very ‘nice’ thing to have and would potentially be extremely useful to anyone who does any imaging at dec. – 20º or less (the availability of the online version notwithstanding). Also he thinks that the price he is asking is extremely reasonable, given that it very rarely (if ever) comes onto the market. Peter has a couple of duplicate film plates that he would be pleased to send as 'specimen plates' to anyone who is seriously interested.

Please e-mail Peter for further details

Peter B. J. Gill (pbj.gill@btinternet.com)