The Status and Future of the International Celestial Reference Frame

Abstract

At the XXIII General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) held on 20 August 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) was adopted as the fundamental celestial reference frame. The ICRF is currently defined by the radio positions of 212 extragalactic objects. Since its inception there have been two extensions to the ICRF. Current efforts toward ICRF maintenance include both analysis and observational improvements and an effort is now underway to define a second realization of the ICRF by the year 2009.