Geodesy by radio interferometry: Intercontinental distance determinations with subdecimeter precision

Abstract

Analysis of very‐long‐baseline interferometer (VLBI) observations yielded estimates of the distances between three radio telescopes in the United States and one in Sweden, with formal standard errors of a few centimeters: Westford, Massachusetts‐Onsala, Sweden: 5,599,714.66±0.03m; Green Bank, West Virginia‐Onsala, Sweden: 6,319,317.75±0.03m; and Owens Valley, California‐Onsala, Sweden: 7,914,131.19±0.04m, where the earth‐fixed reference points are defined in each case with respect to the axes of the telescopes. The actual standard errors are difficult to estimate reliably but are probably not greater than twice the formal errors.