Introduction

A survey of the Galactic Plane is planned with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST), operated by the Astrophysics Department of the University of Sydney. The telescope has recently been converted from operation with a field of view of diameter 70', to a new wide-field mode with a field size of diameter , while retaining its current resolution () and sensitivity (1-2 mJy). This increase enables a large area of the sky to be surveyed in a relatively short period. Only radio telescopes can observe the region very close to the Galactic Equator since obscuration from dust and high stellar density effectively make the area opaque or heavily confused to optical and infrared telescopes. This survey will complement the northern radio surveys currently in progress. It is anticipated that the data will be made available to the wider astronomical community while the survey is being completed.

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997