New Problems in Astrometry

The IAU Symposium No. 61, New Problems in Astrometry, was held in Perth, Western Australia, from 13th to 17th August 1973, under the sponsorship of Com­ mission 8 (Positional Astronomy), 24 (Photographic Astrometry), 33 (Structure and Dynamics of the Galactic System) and 40 (Radio Astronomy). Considerable financial support was given by the Government of Western Australia. The scientific organising committee included Prof. Walter Fricke (Chairman), Prof. S. Vasilevskis (Vice­ Chairman), Dr W. Gliese and Mr C. A. Murray (Secretaries), Dr B. G. Clark, Mr B. Elsmore, Prof. S. W. McCuskey, Dr J. L. Schombert, Prof. R. H. Stoy, Dr K. Aa. Strand, Dr G. van Herk, Mr H. W. Wood and Prof. M. S. Zverev. The local orga­ nising committee included Mr B. J. Harris (Chairman), Mr P. V. Birch, Mr M. P. Candy, Mr D. N. Harwood, Dr I. Nikoloff and Dr S. E. Williams. The duties of chairmen of the sessions were performed by: B. L. Klock, W. Fricke, H. W. Wood, C. A. Anguita, C. M. Wade, B. Elsmore, B. J. Harris, J. Kovalevsky, S. Vasilevskis, G. van Herk, K. Aa. Strand and C. A. Murray. This volume contains the texts or abstracts of papers presented at the Symposium.

New Impetus to Astrometry (Inaugural Address).- Session A / Reference Systems.- Report on IAU Colloquium No. 20, ‘Meridian Astronomy’(Invited Paper).- Plans for the Improvement and Extension of the FK4 (Invited Paper).- Observations Relevant to the Improvement of the Fundamental System.- Report on the Compilation of the PFKSZ-2 Catalogue.- On the Improvement of the ??System of the FK4 Catalogue (Abstract).- Absolute Determination of Right Ascensions of Stars at High Geographical Latitude during the Polar Night.- On Stars with the most Favourable Background in Observational History.- Southern Reference Star Program: Progress Report.- Investigation of Magnitude Effect in the AGK3R Catalogue.- Mouvements propres des étoiles de repère du catalogue photographique (Résumé).- Discussion after Session A.- Session B / Current and Future Projects for Southern Hemisphere Reference Systems.- Observations in Chile and Results Related to Southern Hemisphere Systems (Invited Paper).- Preliminary Results of Relative Declination Observations Made with the Repsold Meridian Circle at Cerro Calán.- Observations by the Hamburg SRS-Expedition to Perth.- On Progress and Methods of Reduction of the Melbourne Observations of Fundamental Stars.- Contribution des astrolabes àla détermination du système de référence dans l’hémisphère sud.- Some Urgent Programmes of Meridian Observations Especially for the Southern Hemisphere (Invited Paper).- Report on the Cape Participation in the Southern Reference Star Project.- Report on the Cape Photographic Survey.- Potentialities of Yale Astrometric Materials.- Thoughts on the Future of Photographic Catalogues.- Session C / Radio Astrometry.- Radio Astrometry Using Connected-Element Interferometers (Invited Paper).- Positions of Extragalactic Radio Sources from Very Long Baseline Interferometry (Invited Paper).- Position Solution of Compact Radio Sources Using Long Coherence VLBI.- Accuracy Estimation of Astronomical Constants from Long Baseline Interferometer Observations (Abstract).- Radio and Optical Astrometry (Invited Paper).- The Texas Radio Astrometric Survey (Abstract).- Absolute Positions of Radio Sources Obtained with the NRAO Interferometer (Abstract).- Determination of an Extragalactic Radio Source Position Catalogue Suitable for Use in Monitoring Geophysical Phenomena (Abstract).- Discussion after Session C.- Session D / Astrometry with Large Telescopes.- Proper Motion and Parallax Programmes for Large Telescopes (Invited Paper).- The U.S. Naval Observatory Parallax Program.- Report on the Herstmonceux I.N.T. Parallax Programme (Abstract).- The Palomar Proper Motion Survey.- Accurate Optical Positions Using the Palomar Sky Atlas.- Reduction of Schmidt Photographs with the Aid of Reference Marks on the Curved Plate (Abstract).- Discussion after Session D.- Session E / Proper Motions and Galactic Problems.- Remarks on the Definition and Determination of Proper Motions (Invited Paper).- Proper Motions with respect to Galaxies (Invited Paper).- Report on the Yale-Columbia Southern Proper Motion Program.- Comparison of Secular Parallaxes Determined from Proper Motions of Stars Relative to Galaxies at the Pulkovo and Lick Observatories.- The Errors of Absolute Photographic Proper Motions of Stars Relative to Galaxies.- On the Project of a New Fourfold Coverage of the Northern Hemisphere.- Stellar Kinematics and Galactic Research Involving Proper Motions (Invited Paper).- Progress Report on the Herstmonceux Programme of Measurement of Proper Motions in the Northern Selected Areas.- Proper Motions of OB Stars in Both Hemispheres (Abstract).- Estimation de la précision des mouvements propres donnés dans un catalogue d’étoiles à l’aide des observations visuelles de couples stellaires optiques.- Session F / Astronomical Refraction Problems.- The Present State and Future of the Astronomical Refraction Investigations (Abstract).- Environmental Systematics and Astronomical Refraction, I (Abstract).- Les effets de la réfraction atmosphérique sur les coordonnées tangentielles en astrométrie (Résumé).- Session G / Astrometric Techniques.- Modern Developments of the Meridian Circle (Invited Paper).- Instrumental Parameters of the U.S. Naval Observatory’s Automatic Transit Circle (ATC).- The Results of Investigations of the Pulkovo Horizontal Meridian Circle (HMC).- Projet de Centre de Recherches Astrométriques et Géodynamiques en France.- Que pourra-t-on déduire des mesures de distance terre-lune par laser?.- Sur la mesure des distances par télémétrie laser (Résumé).- Prospects of Space Astrometry.- Astrometry with the Large Space Telescope.- Upgrading of the Lick-Gaertner Automatic Measuring System.- The COSMOS Plate Measuring Machine.- A New High Speed Measuring Machine for Astrometric Plates (Abstract).- The Influence of the Reduction Model on the Systematic Accuracy of Adjusted Parameters (Abstract).- Star Positions from Overlapping Plates in the Cape Zone ?40° to ?52 °.- A General Computer Program for the Application of the Rigorous Block-Adjustment Solution in Photographic Astrometry (Abstract).- La réduction des clichés astrographiques de champ quelconque (Résumé).- The Yerkes Observatory Photoelectric Parallax Scanner.- On Inconsistencies Found in Long-Term Parallax Series (Abstract).- Precise Reduction to the Apparent Places of Stars (Abstract).- General Discussion, Summary and Resolutions.- General Discussion.- Summary and Conclusions.- Resolutions.