Parallaxes and Proper Motions of Northern and Southern Stars

这笔赠款支持继续进行一项观测计划，以确定相对较近的恒星的选定样本的距离(视差)、绝对星等和自行。该项目在北半球和南半球都有组成部分，通过位于弗吉尼亚州和澳大利亚的望远镜进行观测。通过非常精确地测量附近恒星的位置、运动和亮度而获得的数据构成了天文学家使用的宇宙距离标尺的基础。由弗吉尼亚大学的Ianna和Fredrick博士进行的长期天体测量计划为这个基础数据库提供了重要的贡献。

This grant supports the continuation of an observational program to determine the distances (parallaxes), the absolute magnitudes, and the proper motions of a select sample of relatively nearby stars. The project has components based in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres with observations obtained from telescopes located in Virginia and Australia. Data which are obtained from very precise measurements of the positions, the motions, and the brightnesses of nearby stars form the basis for the cosmic distance scale used by astronomers. The long term astrometry program conducted by Drs. Ianna and Fredrick at the University of Virginia provides an essential contribution to this fundamental data base.