Based on the Calc/Solve system and aiming at the selection of stable sources, we have obtained a series of global solutions to astrometric/geodetic VLBI observations from 1984 to 2006 by changing the settings of the control parameters. After comparing the solutions and performing statistical analysis we proposed a list of 173 candidate stable sources. We also compared the list with those recommended by others authors.

Sometimes saturated and stretched star images with bad data in their central parts may result in astronomical CCD observations. Considering the special characteristics of the saturated and stretched star images, a method known as MGC(Mean-Geometric-Centering) is put forward for determining the centers of these images. The basic principles and processing pipelines of MGC are introduced, and several noteworthy items in the realization of MGC are discussed. Results of applying MGC to simulated and real data are also presented.

In 1992, we obtained the first observations of S2 a star close to the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center. In 2002, S2 passed its periastron and in 2007, it completed a first fully observed revolution. This orbit allowed us to determine the mass of and the distance to the supermassive black hole with unprecedented accuracy. Here we present a re-analysis of the data set, enhancing the astrometric accuracy to 0.5 mas and increasing the number of well-determined stellar orbits to roughly 15. This allows to constrain the extended mass distribution around the massive black hole and will lead in the near future to the detection of post-Newtonian effects. We will also give an outlook on the potential of interferometric near-infrared astrometry with 10 microarcsecond accuracy from the VLTI.

Astronomical Institute of Romanian Academy initiated this project in 2005. The results of researches related to the construction of mechanic systems and the proposed astrometric tasks will be finished in 2008. The module PROTEL is a result of several research groups and it will perform astrometric control observations remotely.

In order to determine precisely positions of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, it is useful that shortly before and/or after photometric observations of a mutual event, normal CCD imaging observation is also performed for the two small-separation satellites. Experimental observations showed that the two observational types, on the whole, could derive mean (O-C) s with very good internal and external agreement (about 15–20 mas).

We describe the ongoing hardware and software developments that shall enable the ESO VLTI to perform narrow-angle differential delay astrometry in K-band with an accuracy of up to 10 μarcsec. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to perform an astrometric search for extrasolar planets around nearby stars.

A catalogue of open clusters is used to analyze the Galactic kinematics near the Sun. The Galactic open clusters, which are components of Galactic thin disk, were selected for our analysis. Based on kinematical data for around 270 Galactic open clusters, we found the Galactic rotation curve remains flat near the Sun. We also found Ve = 6.40±3.39 km s−1 inside the solar circle, which shows a weak trend of stars moving toward the Galactic anti-center.

The unexpected diversity of exoplanets includes a growing number of super-Earth planets, i.e., exoplanets with masses smaller than 10 Earth masses. Unlike the larger exoplanets previously found, these smaller planets are more likely to have similar chemical and mineralogical composition to the Earth. We present a thermal evolution model for super-Earth planets to identify the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The photosynthesis-sustaining habitable zone (pHZ) is determined by the limits of biological productivity on the planetary surface. We apply our model to calculate the habitability of the two super-Earths in the Gliese 581 system. The super-Earth Gl 581c is clearly outside the pHZ, while Gl 581d is at the outer edge of the pHZ. Therefore, it could at least harbor some primitive forms of life.

The purpose of this work is to do a systematic, deep search for sub-stellar objects orbiting nearby white dwarfs (WDs). The scientific interest spans testing specific predictions of models of common envelope phase, as well as providing constraints to planetary system evolution in advanced stages of its parent star. Additionally, we seek to explore the hypothesis about the origin of metal lines in hydrogen WDs, produced by the accretion of tidal disturbed asteroidal or cometary material. This could be linked to the presence of a planetary object. Here, we show preliminary results of our near-infrared astrometric project.

The Exoplanet Search with PRIma (ESPRI) will use the PRIMA dual-feed astrometric capability on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) to perform astrometric detections of extra-solar planets. We present an overview of our data-reduction strategy for achieving 10-μarcsecond accuracy narrow-angle astrometry using the PRIMA instrument. We discuss the error budget for astrometric measurements, and those aspects of our strategy which are designed to minimise the astrometric measurement errors.

The ESA astrometric mission Gaia, due for launch in late 2011, will observe a very large number of asteroids (~ 350,000 down to the magnitude 20), most from the main belt, with an unprecedented positional precision (at the sub-milliarcsecond level). Such high-precision astrometry will enable to considerably improve the orbits of a large number of objects, and also to determine the masses of the largest asteroids by analyzing their gravitational pull during close encounters with smaller ones. A global solution involving simultaneously all the perturbers and the smaller targets should yield about hundred masses with a precision better than 30 percent. The knowledge of these masses will be a rich source of information on the physics of main-belt asteroids and will increase the accuracy of modern solar system ephemerides. We outline the principle of the mathematical method based on variational equations developed to solve for the orbital parameters and the masses of the largest bodies. Calculations have been performed by taking into account realistic simulation of the Gaia observations such as geometry, time sequence, magnitude and by considering possible close approaches among 350,000 asteroids. We give a list of asteroids whose mass can be estimated along with its formal precision.

We have measured the distance to the high-mass star-forming region G59.7+0.1 (IRAS 19410+2336) and W3OH. Their distances, 2.20 ± 0.11 kpc and 1.95 ± 0.04 kpc, respectively, were determined by triangulation using Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of 12.2 GHz methanol masers phase-referenced to compact extragalactic radio sources. In addition to the distances, we have also obtained their proper motions.

Using the VLBA, we have observed H2O maser emission in the pre-planetary nebula, IRAS 19134+2131 (I1913), in which the H2O maser spectrum has two groups of emission features separated in radial velocity by ~100 km s−1. The morphology and 3-D kinematics indicate the existence of a fast collimated flow with a dynamical age of only ~40 years. Such a “water fountain” source is a signature of the recent operation of a stellar jet, that may be responsible for the final shape of the planetary nebula into which I1913 is expected to evolve. We have also estimated the distance to I1913 (~8 kpc) on the basis of an annual parallax and the kinematics of IRAS 19134+2131 in our Galaxy. I1913 may be a component in the “thick disk” or the Galactic “warp”, whose kinematics is different from that of the Galactic “thin” disk. These results are reported in Imai, Sahai & Morris (2007).

Future deep space laser ranging missions together with astrometry missions will be able to test relativistic gravity to an unprecedented level of accuracy and will require second post-Newtonian approximation of relevant theories of gravity. Einstein-aether theory is adopted as the theory of gravity and the second post-Newtonian approximation of light propagation is studied.

The astrometry course at Department of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, is reviewed as an example of educational efforts for top-class students, the possible candidates of professional astronomers, in Japan. The method of teaching is unique in the sense that it gives lectures by using incomplete text books both as MS Powerpoint slides posted at a web site, http://chiron.mtk.nao.ac.jp/~toshio/education.html, and as printed materials in the form of self-study notebooks. Also there are self-study notebooks on the related issues; the courses of relativistic astrometry, of rotational motions, of numerical astronomy, and of orbital motions, the last of which is under development.

We performed phase-referencing VLBI astrometric observations of the H2O maser source IRAS 02395+6244, located well beyond the solar circle. We measured its heliocentric distance to be 5.49 ± 0.80 kpc, implying a Galactocentric distance of 12.5 ± 0.5 kpc and a distance of 270 ± 40 pc above the Galactic plane.

The intrinsic radio structure of the extragalactic sources is one of the limiting factors in defining the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). This paper reports about the ongoing work to monitor the structural evolution of the ICRF sources by using the Very Long Baseline Array and other VLBI telescopes around the world. Based on more than 5000 VLBI images produced from such observations, we have assessed the astrometric suitability of 80% of the ICRF sources. The number of VLBI images for a given source varies from 1 for the least-observed sources to more than 20 for the intensively-observed sources. Overall, we identify a subset of 194 sources that are highly compact at any of the available epochs and which are prime candidates for the realization of the next ICRF with the highest accuracy.

The interplay between modern astrometry and gravitational physics is very important for the progress in both these fields. Below some threshold of accuracy, Newtonian physics fails to describe observational data and the Einstein's relativity theory must be used to model the data adequately. Many high-accuracy astronomical techniques have already passed this threshold. Moreover, modern astronomical observations cannot be adequately modeled if relativistic effects are considered as small corrections to Newtonian models. The whole way of thinking must be made compatible with relativity: this starts with the concepts of time, space and reference systems.

An overview of the standard general-relativistic framework for modeling of high-accuracy astronomical observations is given. Using this framework one can construct a standard set of building blocks for relativistic models. A suitable combination of these building blocks can be used to formulate a model for any given type of astronomical observations. As an example the problem of four dimensional solar system ephemerides is exposed in more detail. The limits of the present relativistic formulation are also briefly summarized.

On the other hand, high-accuracy astronomical observations play important role for gravitational physics itself, providing the latter with crucial observational tests. Perspectives for these astronomical tests for the next 15 years are summarized.

We present the design of a Fizeau interferometer to be implemented for the GAME mission. The aim is to measure the PPN γ parameter with the same technique used for the first time by Dyson, Eddington et al., but at a 10−6 accuracy level. GAME will observe about 106 sufficiently bright stars at about 2° from the Sun. A dedicated space mission has the advantage of observing the light bending without waiting for an eclipse.

We have searched for close and faint companions around T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon star forming region. Two epochs of direct imaging data were taken with the VLT Adaptive Optics instrument NaCo in February 2006 and March 2007 in Ks band for the classical T Tauri star CT Cha together with a Hipparcos binary for astrometric calibration. Moreover a J band image was taken in March 2007 to get color information. We found CT Cha to have a very faint companion (Ks0=14.6 mag) of ∼2.67” separation corresponding to ∼440AU. We show that CT Cha A and the faint object form a common proper motion pair and that the companion is not a non-moving background object (with 4σ significance).