This grant supports the continuation of an observational program to determine the distances (parallaxes), the absolute magnitudes, and the proper motions of a select sample of relatively nearby stars. The project has components based in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres with observations obtained from telescopes located in Virginia and Australia. Data which are obtained from very precise measurements of the positions, the motions, and the brightnesses of nearby stars form the basis for the cosmic distance scale used by astronomers. The long term astrometry program conducted by Drs. Ianna and Fredrick at the University of Virginia provides an essential contribution to this fundamental data base.
