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The theoretical prediction that trigonometric parallaxes suffer from a statistical effect, has become topical again now that the results of the Hipparcos satellite have become available. This statistical effect, the so-called Lutz-Kelker bias, causes measured parallaxes to be too large. This has the implication that inferred distances, and hence inferred luminosities are too small. Published analytic calculations of the Lutz-Kelker bias indicate that the inferred luminosity of an object is, on average, 30% too small when the error in the parallax is only 17.5%. Yet, this bias has never been determined empirically. In this paper we investigate whether there is such a bias by comparing the best Hipparcos parallaxes which ground-based measurements. We find that there is indeed a large bias affecting parallaxes, with an average and scatter comparable to predictions. We propose a simple method to correct for the LK bias, and apply it successfully to a sub-sample of our stars. We then analyze the sample of 26 `best Cepheids used by Feast & Catchpole (1997) to derive the zero-point of the fundamental mode pulsators and leads to a distance modulus to the Large Magellanic Cloud - based on Cepheid parallaxes- of 18.56 +/- 0.08, consistent with previous estimates.
Emission from the 6.7 GHz methanol maser transition is very strong, is relatively stable, has small internal motions, and is observed toward numerous massive star-forming regions in the Galaxy. Our goal is to perform high-precision astrometry using t
We first review the current knowledge of Hipparcos systematic and random errors, in particular small-scale correlations. Then, assuming Gaussian parallax errors and using examples from the recent Hipparcos literature, we show how random errors may be
Y dwarfs provide a unique opportunity to study free-floating objects with masses $<$30 M$_{Jup}$ and atmospheric temperatures approaching those of known Jupiter-like exoplanets. Obtaining distances to these objects is an essential step towards charac
We report measurements of parallaxes and proper motions of ten high-mass star-forming regions in the Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way as part of the BeSSeL Survey with the VLBA. Combining these results with eight others from the literature, we
We report trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of water masers for 12 massive star forming regions in the Perseus spiral arm of the Milky Way as part of the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy (BeSSeL) Survey. Combining our results with 14 paralla