Hipparcos: a Retrospective
arXiv:1109.6769 · doi:10.1007/s00159-011-0045-5
Abstract
The Hipparcos satellite was launched in 1989. It was the first, and remains to date the only, attempt at performing large-scale astrometric measurements from space. Hipparcos marked a fundamentally new approach to the field of astrometry, revolutionising our knowledge of the positions, distances, and space motions of the stars in the solar neighbourhood. In this retrospective, I look back at the processes which led to the mission's acceptance, provide a short summary of the underlying measurement principles and the experiment's scientific achievements, and a conclude with a brief summary of its principal legacy - the Gaia mission.
European Astronomical Society Tycho Brahe Prize Lecture 2011 (18 pages, 4 figures)