Hubble Space Telescope faint object spectrograph Quasar Absorption System Snapshot Survey (AbSnap). 1: Astrometric optical positions and finding charts of 269 bright QSO

Abstract

We present finding charts and optical positions accurate to < 1 arcsec for 269 bright (V <= 18.5) QSOs. These objects were selected as candidates for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Quasar Absorption System Snapshot Survey (AbSnap), a program designed to use the Faint Object Spectrograph to obtain short exposure UV spectra of bright QSOs. Many quasars were included because of their proximity to bright, low redshift galaxies and positions of these QSOs are measured accurately for the first time. Data were obtained using the digitized sky survey produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute's Guide Stars Selection System Astrometric Support Program.