RESEARCH PROGRAMS AT THE CARTER OBSERVATORY - AN OVERVIEW

An outline is given of the main research programs currently in progres s at the Carter Observatory. These include: the establishment of a set of standard star magnitudes and colours in the Vilnius seven-colour p hotometric system; the study of galactic and extragalactic star cluste rs using Vilnius and broadband photometries; binary stars and the deve lopment of APTs; and the history of Australasian astronomy. The role o f Carter Observatory Honorary Research Associates is described and men tion is made of the joint New Zealand/Japan program to observe gravita tional microlensing effects, discover variable stars and patrol select ed clusters of galaxies for supernovae.