The AGK3, a basis for a general (northern) reference catalogue of positions and proper motions

The original concept of the international AGK3 program is presented and a report on the methods applied and on the progress of the work is given. The results in the form of revised positions of the AGK2 reduced to the FK4 system, and of AGK3, can be extrapolated easily to earlier epochs, as far back as those of AGK1, and the mean error for these epochs will permit one the deriving of reliable values for systematic corrections of the old catalogs. By using the AGK2/3 positions a general catalog of roughly to the ninth magnitude can be constructed by including large catalogs such as AGK1, AC, and Yale. Thus a new edition of the type of the SAO catalog for the northern hemisphere can be produced.