The Carte du Ciel was the first photographic survey of the entire sky, extending to 15th magnitude in the blue “photographic” passband. The first Palomar sky survey followed in this tradition, covering the sky north of δ = −30° to a limiting magnitude of ≃ 20 in both blue and visual/red wavelength ranges, while the Whiteoak extension added the fields to declination −42° in the latter color. In the thirty years that have elapsed since the completion of the original survey there have been substantial improvements in emulsions and sesitization techniques, as well as an increase in the wavelength range accessible to photography. These techniques have been ably exploited by the UK Schmidt telescope, and a cursory comparison between any UKST IIIaJ plate and an original POSS 103a-O photograph highlights the considerably improved depth and resolution of the southern survey. We have, therefore, embarked on a second Palomar survey, POSS 2, in an effort to redress the balance. This paper outlines the progress made to date and go on to describe some of the scientific programs that are planned.