Astrometry
A Precision Tool for the 21st Century

To many astronomers, astrometry is merely a necessary step toward other goals in astronomy. Only a minority really savor this important work and appreciate the fundamental nature of determining the positions of stars to higher and higher precision as the years pass. They glean parallaxes, yielding distances, and proper motions, which ultimately help define the general behavior of the stars in the Milky Way. A larger group of astronomers applies such measurements directly to the problems of astrophysics, a field recognized for only about 150 years, though its roots are much deeper. They determine the masses of binary stars’ visible and invisible companions and reflect on their results in the context of theoretical predictions.

Through its State Technical Outreach activity, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program provides state policymakers and energy agencies with information and tools to improve state energy programs. The goal of the State Technical Outreach effort is to create more robust solar markets at the state level by removing market barriers that hinder the further development of these programs.

DOE is working with four organizations to provide solar technical information to state governments:

• Clean Energy Group
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council
• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
• National Conference of State Legislators

DOE partners with these organizations to support the unique strengths of each organization in providing state lawmakers and regulatory utility commissioners with accurate information about solar energy. DOE also supports these organizations' collaborations on issues that affect both state lawmaker and utility commissioner stakeholder groups.

Through Solar America Cities, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded financial and technical assistance to 25 cities pursuing city-wide solar energy programs. Solar America Cities is funded by the DOE Solar Program's Market Transformation efforts.

The Solar Program sought proposals from cities that:

-Have a population of 100,000 or more

-Demonstrate a commitment to city-wide adoption of solar power.

The cities that received awards are geographically and demographically diverse, and they represent solar markets at varying levels of maturity.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP or Solar Program) promotes the commercialization of solar technologies by addressing non-technical issues that act as barriers to the adoption of solar energy technologies. DOE's Market Transformation effort identifies and prioritizes significant barriers beyond traditional "cost" issues and develops specific activities and external partnerships to address those barriers.

The Solar Program identified the following market barriers to widespread dissemination of solar technologies: