Global block adjustment simulations using the CPC 2 data structure

Abstract

Over 276,000 star positions on 5695 plates covering the entire southern hemisphere with a four-fold overlap pattern are used in rigorous block adjustment (BA) simulations to estimate the positional accuracy in terms of random and zonal systematic errors. A significant improvement of such global BA solutions are found as compared to BA solutions of small areas on the sky or even conventional single plate adjustments. Possible zonal errors in traditional transit circle catalogs, based on the FK 5 system, can be detected and practically eliminated in the BA solution. A BA using the positions of only 102 extragalactic reference sources, instead of a TC catalog, was performed successfully.