The Astrometric Context of HST in 2010

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

For the past 20 years, the HST has occupied a unique niche in astrometry, that of high-resolution imaging and interferometry-based astrometry. As a consequence of its small field of view, HST astrometry has been primarily oriented towards the observation of carefully selected targets rather than surveys searching for new classes of objects. Ground-based astrometric, photometric and radial velocity surveys have played crucial roles in characterizing classes of objects and identifying astrophysically-interesting targets worthy of observation by the HST. The symbiotic nature of HST and ground-based astrometry is illustrated by surveys of visual and spectroscopic binaries that lead to the identification of binaries in critical parts of their orbits where one or a few HST Fine-Guidance Sensor observations of their angular separation can lead to a definitive mass determination. Photometric surveys have identified numerous Cepheid variables in the Milky Way that might be used to calibrate the cosmic distance scale, however their distances generally remain estimated only from their spectro-photometric characteristics. HST-FGS observations of carefully selected and relatively nearby Cepheids have led to a solid independent calibration of the cosmic distance scale. Ground-based observations of galactic globular clusters have determined the physical makeup of those clusters and characterized the evolutionary tracks of stars with differing masses and metallicities, but only HST imaging astrometry in conjunction with radial velocity observations have made it possible to determine the dynamical state of the clusters. The above examples highlight only a few contributions of HST astrometry to the critical calibration of astronomical objects, while in this talk I will try to place HST in the context of how we are using astrometry to understand our local universe.

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