[Previous] | [Session 4] | [Next]
G. F. Benedict, B. E. McArthur (McDonald Observatory), T. E. Harrison (New Mexico State U.), J. Lee (Yale), C. L. Slesnick (University of Virginia), HST Astrometry Science Team
We report on parallaxes for astrophysically interesting stars obtained with the Fine Guidance Sensor interferometer on Hubble Space Telescope. These objects include the central star of the planetary nebula NGC 6853, the cataclysmic variable TV Col, and the distance scale calibrators RR Lyr and delta Cep. We will discuss our considerable efforts to characterize the reference stars associated with each prime target, necessary to effect the correction from relative to absolute parallax. These targets were originally chosen by L. W. Fredrick in 1980. We compare these and our past results with all past, non-HST determinations, including those from HIPPARCOS for our brighter targets.
The HST Astrometry Sceince Team consists of W. H. Jefferys , P.I., G. F. Benedict, deputy P.I., B. E. McArthur, P. J. Shelus, R. Duncombe (UTexas), E. Nelan (STScI), W. van Altena and J. Lee (Yale), O. Franz and L. Wasserman (Lowell Obs.), and L. Fredrick (UVirginia).
We gratefully acknowledge the support of NASA grant NAG5-1603 and our many supporters at STScI and Goddard Spaceflight Center. We thank R. Patterson, J. Rhee, and S. Majewski (UVirginia) and T. Montemayor (UTexas) for assistance with reference star photometry.