Distances of Dwarf Carbon Stars

Parallaxesare presented for a sample of 20 nearby dwarf carbon stars. The inferred luminosities cover almost two orders of magnitude. Their absolute magnitudesand tangential velocities confirm prior expectations that some originate in the Galactic disk, although more than half of this sample are halo stars. Three stars are found to be astrometric binaries, and orbital elementsare determined; their semimajor axes are 1 -- 3 AU, consistent with the size of an AGB mass-transfer donor star.