Astronomical Applications of Astrometry

by Perryman, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781107407008
• ISBN10: 1107407001
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-30
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

The Hipparcos satellite, developed and launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1989, was the first space mission dedicated to astrometry - the accurate measurement of positions, distances, and proper motions of stars. Amongst the key achievements of its measurements are refining the cosmic distance scale, characterizing the large-scale kinematic motions in the Solar neighborhood, providing precise luminosities for stellar modelling, and confirming Einstein's prediction of the effect of gravity on starlight. This authoritative account of the Hipparcos contributions over the last decade is an outstanding reference for astronomers, astrophysicists and cosmologists. It reviews the applications of the data in different areas, describing the subject and the state of the art before Hipparcos, and summarizing all major contributions to the topic made by Hipparcos. It contains a detailed overview of the Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues, their annexes and their updates. Each chapter ends with comprehensive references to relevant literature.

Table of Contents

The Hipparcos and Tycho catalogues

Derived catalogues and applications

Double and multiple stars

Photometry and variability

Luminosity calibration and distance scale

Open clusters, groups and associations

Stellar structure and evolution

Specific stellar types and the ISM

Structure of the Galaxy

Solar System and exo-planets

Index

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