Sofa: Standards of Fundamental Astronomy: Progress and Plans

Abstract

At its 1994 General Assembly, the International Astronomical Union resolved to introduce new arrangements to establish and maintain an accessible and authoritative set of constants, algorithms and procedures that implement standard models used in fundamental astronomy. The initiative was the responsibility of the Working Group on Astronomical Standards (WGAS), part of Division 1 of the IAU, and the set of procedures and constants was named SOFA, for “Standards Of Fundamental Astronomy”. The background to the IAU Resolution is given by Fukushima (1995) and Wallace (1996).