Galactic Structure and Kinematics from Absolute Proper Motions

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

AST 9988105 Jones The Northern Proper Motion (NPM) program is nearing completion after a half century of work. First-epoch photography began in 1947; second-epoch photography was completed in 1988. Measurements and reductions for proper motions, positions, and photometry in the sky outside the Milky Way (Part I of the NPM program) began in 1975 and were completed in 1992. The Lick NPM1 Catalog, containing 149,000 stars, was presented to the user community in 1993. Work on Part II of the NPM program, with some 300,000 stars in the Milky Way sky, began in 1996, and plate measurements were completed in 1999. This award will support data reduction and star identifications for the final three years of NPM2. The NPM program will be completed with the publication of the Lick NPM2 Catalog in 2003. The NPM1 and NPM2 catalogs will have lasting value as a unique database for many future studies in galactic structure, stellar kinematics, and astrometry. This award is made through the Galactic Astronomy Program in the Division of Astronomical Sciences. ***