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The Chinese Academy of Sciences Youth-Led Vanguard International Symposium “Toward Sub-micro-arcsecond Astrometry: Scientific Opportunities and Measurement Pathways” will bring together invited experts and young researchers to discuss the scientific opportunities, technical challenges, and future directions of astrometry beyond the micro-arcsecond frontier.

Astrometry provides a direct way to address fundamental questions in astronomy and physics, from the formation of planetary systems and the evolution of stellar and compact-object systems to the structure of the Milky Way and the behavior of gravity across different spatial and temporal scales. By measuring positions, parallaxes, proper motions, orbital motions, and relativistic perturbations, astrometry offers a unique dynamical view of the Universe.

The Gaia mission has demonstrated the transformative power of space optical astrometry and has established an unprecedented astrometric foundation for modern astronomy. However, many frontier science cases require accuracies beyond the reach of Gaia, including the detection and mass measurement of terrestrial exoplanets around nearby stars, compact-object systems, gravitational-wave-related astrometric signals, and subtle dynamical effects that demand precision and systematic-error control at or beyond the micro-arcsecond level.

The symposium will focus on three core themes: science drivers at micro- and sub-micro-arcsecond precision, future measurement pathways involving instrument concepts, detectors, metrology, and observing strategies, and relativistic astrometric modeling with ephemeris support. A final discussion will explore a possible roadmap toward future space-borne sub-micro-arcsecond astrometry concepts and the associated next-generation technological capabilities.

The goal of the symposium is to provide a small, focused, and discussion-oriented forum for invited experts to openly discuss major scientific and technological challenges, possible solutions, future directions, and preliminary ideas that may help shape the path toward sub-micro-arcsecond astrometry.

The symposium will be held on December 7–10, 2026, at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai, China.

This symposium is funded by the Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and hosted by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhaoxiang Qi (SHAO-CAS, Co-Chair), Mario. G. Lattanzi (OATo-INAF/SHAO-CAS, Co-Chair), Zi Zhu (NJU), Jiacheng Liu(NJU), Yuqiang Li (YNAO), M.Crosta (OATo-INAF), Jian Gao (BJNU), Qingyu Peng (JNU), Shilong Liao (SHAO-CAS)

 Shilong Liao (SHAO-CAS, Chair), Zhenghong Tang(SHAO-CAS, Co-Chair), Qiqi Wu(SHAO-CAS), Shaohong Zhang(SHAO-CAS), Ye Ding(SHAO-CAS)