Positions and motions of 250,000 stars in the Solar vicinity: stellar contents and dynamical structure of the Galaxy.

American Museum Natural History, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0607757 INSTITUTION: American Museum of Natural History PI: Sebastiaan Lepine Co-PI: Michael Shara TITLE: Positions and motions of 250,000 stars in the Solar vicinity: stellar contents and dynamical structure of the Galaxy ABSTRACT Dr. Sebastien Lepine and Michael Shara (both at the American Museum of Natural History) will create a catalog of 250,000 faint nearby stars using the SUPERBLINK proper motion survey, which is based on data mining of the Digital Sky Surveys. A position and velocity census, out to 100 parsecs, will be made. This study will allow for the investigation of the structure and formation history of the Galaxy, by identifying stars with proper motions >0.04arseconds/year, and determining distances by means of photometric parallaxes. An associated calibration program for parallax distances of red subdwarfs will also be undertaken. This work will be incorporated into a new, expanded Catalog of High Proper Motion Stars" to be made available to the public by means of an on-line, searchable version of the database. The motion of the stars in the Solar neighborhood will be incorporated into the American Museum of Natural History / Hayden Planetarium database (the Digital Galaxy), and presented to roughly 1 million visitors each year as part of the Planetarium's immersive 3D Space Show.