A radio continuum survey of the southern sky at 1420 MHz - The atlas of contour maps

The results of an absolutely calibrated radio continuum survey of the South Celestial Hemisphere at a frequency of 1420 MHz are presented. Contour maps show the area $\rm 0^h \leq RA \leq 24^h$ for the declination range $-90\degr$ to $-10\degr$. Contour steps (50 mK T B ; 3 $\times$ rms noise) and angular resolution ( HPBW 35$\farcm$ 4) of the maps match the already existing Stockert northern sky survey at the same frequency. We compare flux densities of compact and extended sources with published data from the Parkes 64-m telescope and find excellent agreement in general. The survey maps are sensitive enough to constrain synchrotron and thermal emission components which might influence studies of the cosmic microwave background.