Absolute Astrometry from VLBA RDV Observations

Abstract

The Very Long Baseline Array began participating in geodetic VLBI experiments in earnest in 1997 through the Research and Development VLBI (RDV) program. These experiments involve the 10 stations of the VLBA plus several antennas of the geodetic VLBI network and have occurred about every two months since the inception of the program. The VLBA RDV experiments are part of a collaborative program of geodetic and astrometric research between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the U.S. Naval Observatory and are scheduled to accommodate the diverse goals of the participating institutions. The catalog of radio positions derived from these data and the frame they define are compared to ICRF-Ext.2. Because the VLBA RDV data are so prolific and of such high quality, when combined with the existing database of VLBI astrometric/geodetic experiments, they will make a significant contribution to the construction of the next realization of the ICRF.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA515105

Entities

People

  • A. L. Fey
  • D. A. Boboltz

Organizations

  • United States Naval Observatory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Astronomy
  • Electronic Mail
  • Information Operations
  • Observation
  • Observatories
  • Radio Astronomy

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Naval Engineering and Maritime Security
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space