Astronometry

Astronometry is the branch of astronomy focused on the precise measurement of the positions, motions, and distances of celestial bodies. It emphasizes quantitative celestial coordinates and kinematics, and in many modern sources it is treated as synonymous with astrometry, though some uses retain astronometry as a broader historical term for measurement techniques.

The primary quantities studied in astronometry include angular positions (right ascension and declination), parallax for distance, proper motion for transverse movement, and, when possible, radial velocity and angular size of objects. Achieving high precision has required advances in instrumentation, observation techniques, and data processing.

Historically, astronometry developed from early naked-eye measurements to instrumented observation. Meridian circles and transit instruments enabled accurate timekeeping and position measurements; micrometers and specialized spectroscopic methods refined angular separations and motions. The 19th-century measurement of stellar parallax by Friedrich Bessel marked a turning point, establishing stellar distances. The 20th and 21st centuries brought photographic, CCD, and space-based astrometric campaigns.

Modern astronometry is dominated by space missions such as Hipparcos and Gaia, which produce large catalogs of positions, parallaxes, and proper motions tied to a global reference frame. Ground-based surveys and interferometric techniques continue to contribute, especially for very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and high-precision radio astrometry.

Astronometry underpins the International Celestial Reference Frame and the precise determination of star catalogs, spacecraft navigation, timekeeping, and the measurement of Earth orientation and geodetic parameters. In contemporary usage, the term is often subsumed under astrometry, but it remains a historical and contextual label for the measurement-centric aspect of celestial astronomy.