Late Stages of Stellar Evolution

Abstract

A review is given of the use of high-accuracy astrometry on research on white dwarfs and the hot subdwarfs and central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN). Predictions are made about the expected impact of HIPPARCOS, and the possible impacts of GAIA and ROEMER. Discovery of large numbers of new white dwarfs is expected, and, for the more distant hot subdwarfs and CSPN, important refinements of our current understanding of these objects. For white dwarfs independent values of mass and radius may be accurate enough to allow new understanding of the internal composition.