Astrometry and Celestial Reference Frames: Advances from Catalogs, Quasar Surveys, and Earth’s Rotation Model
A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Space Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 225
Special Issue Editors
Interests: theories in celestial reference systems and frames; precession-nutation of the earth; ground-based and space astrometry
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Astrometry is the foundation for our understanding of the cosmos, which provides reference systems for celestial navigation, galactic dynamics, and the testing of general relativity. The realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) is central to these efforts, providing an inertial system required to map the universe with increasing precision.
In the era of the Gaia mission and high-precision Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), we have entered a period of ultra high accuracy and multi-wavelength astrometry. However, reaching high accuracy presents new challenges, such as the property of quasars and other sources at micro-arcsecond level. Furthermore, the precise connection between celestial and terrestrial frames relies on the modeling of Earth’s orientation with the same precision. Advances in Earth’s precession and nutation modeling are critical to the transformation between celestial and terrestrial reference systems.
This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest advances in astrometry and reference frame realization. We invite original research and review articles on topics including new astrometric catalogs, large-scale quasar surveys, the synergy between radio and optical observations, and advancements in Earth rotation modeling. By bridging the gap between extragalactic observations and geophysical modeling, we hope to foster a comprehensive dialogue on the future of spatial referencing.
It is our pleasure to invite you to contribute your latest research to this Special Issue of Universe.
Prof. Dr. Jiacheng Liu
Prof. Dr. Shilong Liao
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- astrometry
- reference frames
- VLBI
- extragalactic sources
- catalogs
- earth’s rotation
- precession-nutation
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