We derived the luminosity function of thick disk using V/Vmax method for nearby sub-dwarf stars based on the sample stars of Carney et al. (1994). Hipparcos parallaxes and proper motions and Tycho2 proper motions were combined with radial velocities and metallicities from CLLA. We found that the luminosity function in the absolute magnitude range MV = 4–6 mag agree well with the luminosity function derived from the initial mass function (Reyle & Robin 2001).

The Hipparcos and Tycho catalogues are ideal data sources for classwork since they provide real data illustrating fundamental astronomical concepts in a simple and easy to manipulate format. In this poster we describe how some of this data is used as support material within the International Baccalaureate (IB) science curriculum. The preparation and deployment of a series of Teacher Notes, specifically constructed to support the IB but applicable to other curricula, is described. Specific attention is given to the Teacher Notes on Stellar Distances which employs data from the Hipparcos and Tycho catalogues.

A subcatalogue with positions and magnitudes of stars brighter than V = 16 and declinations between −30° and 0° is presented. The observations have been carried out with the Círculo Meridiano Automático de San Fernando at the Carlos Ulrrico Cesco Observatory in San Juan (Argentina) in the framework of an agreement between the ROA and the OAFA. The final goal of this collaboration is to publish a survey of positions and magnitudes of stars brighter than V = 16 and with declinations between −55° and +30°.

With measuring precision on the order of milli-arcseconds for ground-based survey facilities or even micro-arcseconds for space astrometric satellites, the importance of astrometric education continues to be important. The content of astrometric courses in China during the past fifteen years is reviewed and the current astrometric courses for undergraduate and graduate students at universities and observatories in China are presented. Finally the improvements of astrometric education in content and teaching methods are suggested.

Parallax measurements of the Galactic Mira variables with VERA have started since 2004 to establish their Period-Luminosity (PL) relationship in the Galaxy. Multi-epoch VLBI observations of a semiregular variable S Crt yielded an accurate parallax of 2.27±0.14 mas corresponding to the distance of 441+29−24 pc. In addition to the distance, we obtained physical properties of S Crt. Temperature of the photosphere was found to be ~3000 K by fitting the infrared spectrum with a blackbody radiation. The stellar radius was obtained based on the distance, apparent magnitude, and the temperature. Internal proper motions of circularly-arranged maser spots in S Crt were detected for the first time. Observations of the other Mira variables, such as R UMa, SY Scl, AP Lyn, and WX Psc are in progress.

We observed with VERA the massive star forming region G34.4+0.23, to obtain parallaxes and proper motions. Four infrared dark clouds were observed and water maser were found in two dark clouds, MM1 and MM4. In MM1, the distribution of maser spots shows a “V-shaped” structure and most features co-moving with this structure. Phase-referenced images have peaks and their motion is much larger than the expected parallax. Further analysis is needed to correctly interpret our measurement of parallax.

In this paper, we first summarize the results of a large-scale double-blind tests campaign carried out for the realistic estimation of the Gaia potential in detecting and measuring planetary systems. Then, we put the identified capabilities in context by highlighting the unique contribution that the Gaia exoplanet discoveries will be able to bring to the science of extrasolar planets during the next decade.

In general, the model of galaxy assumes a central huge black hole surrounded by a massive halo, disk or ring. In this paper, we investigate the gravitational field structure of a slowly rotating black hole with a dipolar halo, and the dynamics and chaos of test particles moving in it. Using Poincaré sections and fast Lyapunov indicator (FLI) in general relativity, we investigate chaos under different dynamical parameters, and find that the FLI is suitable for detecting chaos and even resonant orbits.

When astrometric data can be extracted from archives, this generally allows us to get very strong constraints for the orbital modeling of Solar System objects. This is particularly important for Near-Earth Asteroids. We have developed tools in the Virtual Observatory framework in order to carry out such a task. We have applied them to the DENIS survey. This survey has been performed from 1995 to 2001 in the I, J, K' spectral bands with a 1m telescope at ESO La Silla. Many sources associated to Solar System Objects have been identified and we present our preliminary results.

A new all-sky catalog of stars with proper motions μ > 0.15″ yr−1 is presented. The catalog is largely a product of the SUPERBLINK survey, a data-mining initiative in which the entire Digitized Sky Surveys are searched for moving stellar sources. Findings from earlier proper motions surveys are also incorporated. The new all-sky catalog supersedes the great historic proper motion catalogs assembled by W. J. Luyten (LHS, NLTT), and provides a virtually complete > 98% census of high proper motion stars down to magnitude R = 19.

An imperfect CTE in CCD detectors is one of the most important instrumental issues affecting both photometry and astrometry, especially in space-based observations. We discuss the CTE effect in the images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's, Advanced Camera for Surveys in Wide Field Channel (ACS/WFC). ACS is the only imaging instrument capable of delivering sub-mas astrometry from a single observation, and it is important to take into account any instrumental systematic in positions such as the CTE effect.

The main objective of the Penn State/Toruń Centre for Astronomy search for planets around evolved stars is the detection of planetary systems around massive, evolved stars. We are also interested in the evolution of these systems on stellar evolution timescales. In this paper we present our approach to determine the basic physical parameters of our targets GK-giants. We also discuss the stellar activity indicators used in our survey: line bisector and curvature, and Hα variability.

We investigated the efficiency of planet scatterings in producing close-in planets by a direct inclusion of the dynamical tide effect into the simulations. We considered a system consists of three Jovian planets. Through a planet-planet scattering, one of the planets is sent into shorter orbit. If the eccentricity of the scattered planet is enough high, the tidal dissipation from the star makes the planetary orbit circular. We found that the short-period planets are formed at about 30% cases in our simulation and that Kozai mechanism plays an important role. In the Kozai mechanism, the high inclination obtained by planet-planet scattering is transformed to the eccentricity. It leads the pericenter of the innermost planet to approach the star close enough for tidal circularization. The formed close-in planets by this process have a widely spread inclination distribution. The degree of contribution of the process for the formation of close-in planets will be revealed by more observations of Rossiter-McLaughlin effects for transiting planets.

Short period planets provide an exciting opportunity of constraining structural properties. Observations have revealed a diverse class of objects, including several at odds with aspects of conventional planet formation theories. Here we present several scenarios that may help in producing the observed diversity. For short period planets in particular, their proximity to their host stars suggests that star-planet interactions may play an important role in their orbital and structural evolution. We first show that the penetration of a non-synchronous stellar magnetic field into short period planets will provide a significant source of energy for planetary expansion and may help stall inward migration. In addition to magnetic dissipation, the intense irradiation from the host star will drive atmospheric flows, whose behaviour is strongly influenced by the opacity of the envelope. Finally, we explore the role of late stage planetesimal and embryo bombardment on the structure of gas-giant planets. Dynamical trapping during migration, followed by orbital destablization during the final stage of gas-giant growth, leads to a surge in the collision rate. Such collisions will lead to preferential core growth and inflated radii. All three of these processes, occurring late in the planetary formation process, will produce a large range in planetary properties and may account for the diversity we see today.

The majority of extra-solar planets have been discovered by measuring the Doppler velocities of the host star. Like all exoplanet detection methods, the Doppler method is rife with observational biases. Before any robust comparison of mass, orbital period and eccentricity distributions can be made with theory, a detailed understanding of these selection effects is required, something which up to now is lacking. We present here a progress report on our analysis of the selection effects present in Anglo-Australian Planet Search data, including the methodology used and some preliminary results.

Long-baseline interferometry with facilities such as the ESO VLTI is beginning to have the capability to measure directly in the range of milliarcsecond and less the angular separation and the angular diameter of some selected eclipsing binary systems. We have begun to carry out such observations with the AMBER instrument. In the special case of double-lined eclipsing binaries with well-detached components, from radial velocity and light curves it is possible to obtain a full solution of all orbital and stellar parameters, with the exception of the effective temperature of one star, which is normally estimated from spectral type or derived from atmospheric analysis of the spectrum or reddening-corrected photometric colors. In particular, we aim at deriving directly the effective temperature at least of one component in the proposed system, thereby avoiding any assumptions in the global solution through the Wilson-Devinney method. We have obtained an independent check of the results of this method concerning the distance to the system. This represents the first step toward a global calibration of eclipsing binaries as distance indicators. Our results will also contribute to the effective temperature scale for hot stars. The extension of this approach to a wider sample of eclipsing binaries could provide an independent method to assess the distance to the LMC.

We describe the efforts to understand our Milky Way Galaxy, from its center to outskirts, including (1) the measurements of the intrinsic size of the galactic center compact radio source Sgr A*; (2) the determination of the distance from the Sun to the Perseus spiral arm; and (3) the revealing of large scale global magnetic fields of the Galaxy.

With high-resolution millimeter-VLBI observations, Shen et al. (2005) have measured the intrinsic size of the radio-emitting region of the galactic center compact radio source Sgr A* to be only 1 AU in diameter at 3.5 mm. When combined with the lower limit on the mass of Sgr A*, this provides strong evidence for Sgr A* being a super-massive black hole. Comparison with the intrinsic size detection at 7 mm indicates a frequency-dependent source size, posing a tight constraint on various theoretical models.

With VLBI phase referencing observations, Xu et al. (2006) have measured the trigonometric parallax of W3OH in the Perseus spiral arm with an accuracy of 10 μas and also its absolute velocity with an accuracy of 1 km s−1. This demonstrates the capability of probing the structure and kinematics of the Milky Way by determining distances to 12 GHz methanol (CH3OH) masers in star forming regions of distant spiral arms and Milky Way's outskirts.

With pulsar dispersion measures and rotation measures, Han et al. (2006) can directly measure the magnetic fields in a very large region of the Galactic disk. The results show that the large-scale magnetic fields are aligned with the spiral arms but reverse their directions many times from the most inner Norma arm to the outer Perseus arm.

An original way of application of drift-scan imaging – electronic tracing technique for observation of the fast moving asteroids is presented in this contribution.

An overview of currently available, large-area, proper-motion catalogs is presented. These include the well-known catalogs based on historical Schmidt-telescope surveys as well as other projects that make use of observational material the primary purpose of which, from inception, was the determination of proper motions. The various catalogs are characterized and compared, with an emphasis on their limitations and their appropriateness for various astrophysical uses.

In addition to allowing for the maintenance of a practical celestial reference system, absolute proper-motion surveys provide the raw material from which a better understanding of our Galaxy's structure and kinematics can be built. Several examples will be cited in which large proper-motion surveys are used to probe and describe the distinct stellar components that comprise our Milky Way Galaxy.

The Gaia Science Operations Centre (SOC), based at ESAC near Madrid, is building up to play an important role in Gaia operations and data processing.