University of British Columbia NASA Multi-Narrowband Survey. I. Description and photometric properties of the survey

Observations, analysis techniques, and photometric properties of a multi-narrowband survey of a 20 deg(2) area of sky at +33 degrees declination are described. The survey is conducted with the 3 m liquid-mirror telescope of the NASA Orbital Debris Observatory using intermediate-bandwidth filters. These filters have central wavelengths ranging from 455 to 948 nm, at intervals of 0.01 in log lambda, and give a spectral resolving power of Delta lambda/lambda similar to 44. In two spring observing seasons, we have completed observations in 16 bands. Our preliminary object catalog contains over 10(5) detections to a typical 50% completeness limit of m(AB) similar to 20.4. The survey is expected to provide object classifications, spectral energy distributions, and multi-narrowband redshifts for similar to 10(4) galaxies and QSOs for use in studies of galaxy and QSO distributions, evolution, and large-scale structure. It will also provide photometry and spectral classifications for over 10(4) stars.