Summary and Conclusions

Extract

This has been a good Symposium. There obviously is a need to review now the problems of the accepted fundamental reference system of star positions and proper motions. The basic Fourth Fundamental Catalog (FK4) has been the reference catalog for the past 10 years. It needs updating and especially it should be made more directly usable for discussions of positions and motions referred to faint galaxies. In the preparation of the next catalog we should make use of radio galaxies as basic reference points for fixing precision stellar positions. The Symposium came at the right time! Radio Astrometry has burst upon the scene and it is essential that the optical and radio astrometrists should get to know each other and exchange views about the manner in which together we may work towards the establishment of a fundamental system of positions and proper motions more reliable than we have had in the past. There has also been much activity in the area of measuring proper motions of faint stars relative to galaxies and we obviously have to consider the best manner in which these valuable new contributions can be applied most usefully to basic astrometry. Our Symposium was held in the right place! It is high time that we should draw attention to the accomplishments and the future needs of basic southern hemisphere astrometry; Perth, Western Australia, is obviously a good place to discuss such matters. Finally we should discuss questions relating to instrumentation. Over the past decade there has been what could be called a ‘breakthrough’ in instrumentation, not only in the radio area, but also in the more traditional optical area of measurement by transit circles. There have been many new developments in the field of automatic measurement of photographic plates. This was clearly the time to take stock and plan for the future.