Although intended to correspond to 10−10 metres, that definition was not accurate enough for spectroscopy work. Until 1960 the metre was defined as the distance between two scratches on a bar of platinum-iridium alloy, kept at the BIPM in Paris in a carefully controlled environment. Reliance on that material standard had led to an early error of about one part in 6000 in the tabulated wavelengths. Ångström took the precaution of having the standard bar he used checked against a standard in Paris, but the metrologist Henri Tresca reported it to be so incorrect that Ångström's corrected results were more in error than the uncorrected ones.
In 1960, the metre itself was redefined in spectroscopic terms, which allowed the angstrom to be redefined as being exactly 0.1 nanometres.
After the redefinition of the metre in spectroscopic terms, the Angstrom was formally redefined to be 0.1 nanometres. However, there was briefly thought to be a need for a separate unit of comparable size defined directly in terms of spectroscopy. In 1965, J.A. Bearden defined the Angstrom Star (symbol: Å*) as 0.202901 times the wavelength of the tungsten
κ
α
1
{\textstyle \kappa _{\alpha 1}}
line. This auxiliary unit was intended to be accurate to within 5 parts per million of the version derived from the new metre. Within ten years, the unit had been deemed both insufficiently accurate (with accuracies closer to 15 parts per million) and obsolete due to higher precision measuring equipment.
Oxford University Press (2019) Entry "angstrom" by Oxford Living Dictionaries online; Archived on 2019-03-06. Spellings "angstrom" [aŋstrəm] and "ångström"; symbol "Å" https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044036/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/angstrom
Merriam-Webster (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the [www.merriam-webster.com Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary]. Accessed 2024-01-30. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈaŋ-strəm], ['ȯŋ-strəm] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angstrom
HarperCollins (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the Collins English Dictionary online. Accessed on 2024-07-26. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈæŋstrʌm], [æŋstrəm]; symbols "Å", "A". https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/angstrom
Merriam-Webster (1989): Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. Portland House, 1989
HarperCollins (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the Collins English Dictionary online. Accessed on 2024-07-26. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈæŋstrʌm], [æŋstrəm]; symbols "Å", "A". https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/angstrom
John C. Wells (2008): Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd edition. ISBN 9781405881180 /wiki/ISBN_(identifier)
Peter Roach (2011): Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th edition. ISBN 9780521152532 /wiki/ISBN_(identifier)
John C. Wells (2008): Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd edition. ISBN 9781405881180 /wiki/ISBN_(identifier)
Oxford University Press (1986) Entry "Ångström (unit)" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1986); Archived on 2021-11-22. Spellings "Ångström" [ɔːŋstrœm] (capitalized) and "angstrom" (lowercase); symbols "Å", "Å.U.", "A.U." Quote: "The International Ångström (I.Å.) was defined in 1907 in terms of the wavelength of cadmium which in standard conditions is 6438·4696 I.Å. When the metre was defined in terms of the wavelength of krypton in 1960 the Ångström became exactly equal to 10−8 cm." https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223411/https://www.oed.com/oed2/00008552
Oxford University Press (1986) Entry "Ångström (unit)" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1986); Archived on 2021-11-22. Spellings "Ångström" [ɔːŋstrœm] (capitalized) and "angstrom" (lowercase); symbols "Å", "Å.U.", "A.U." Quote: "The International Ångström (I.Å.) was defined in 1907 in terms of the wavelength of cadmium which in standard conditions is 6438·4696 I.Å. When the metre was defined in terms of the wavelength of krypton in 1960 the Ångström became exactly equal to 10−8 cm." https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223411/https://www.oed.com/oed2/00008552
Oxford University Press (1986) Entry "Ångström (unit)" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1986); Archived on 2021-11-22. Spellings "Ångström" [ɔːŋstrœm] (capitalized) and "angstrom" (lowercase); symbols "Å", "Å.U.", "A.U." Quote: "The International Ångström (I.Å.) was defined in 1907 in terms of the wavelength of cadmium which in standard conditions is 6438·4696 I.Å. When the metre was defined in terms of the wavelength of krypton in 1960 the Ångström became exactly equal to 10−8 cm." https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223411/https://www.oed.com/oed2/00008552
International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (8th ed.), p. 127, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-04, retrieved 2021-12-16 92-822-2213-6
IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "Ångström". doi:10.1351/goldbook.N00350 /wiki/International_Union_of_Pure_and_Applied_Chemistry
Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor (2009): "B.8 Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically". NIST Guide to the SI, National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Accessed on 2019-03-02 https://www.nist.gov/physical-measurement-laboratory/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8
Oxford University Press (2019) Entry "angstrom" by Oxford Living Dictionaries online; Archived on 2019-03-06. Spellings "angstrom" [aŋstrəm] and "ångström"; symbol "Å" https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044036/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/angstrom
Merriam-Webster (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the [www.merriam-webster.com Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary]. Accessed 2024-01-30. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈaŋ-strəm], ['ȯŋ-strəm] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angstrom
HarperCollins (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the Collins English Dictionary online. Accessed on 2024-07-26. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈæŋstrʌm], [æŋstrəm]; symbols "Å", "A". https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/angstrom
Oxford University Press (2019) Entry "angstrom" by Oxford Living Dictionaries online; Archived on 2019-03-06. Spellings "angstrom" [aŋstrəm] and "ångström"; symbol "Å" https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044036/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/angstrom
Merriam-Webster (1989): Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. Portland House, 1989
HarperCollins (2024): Entry "angstrom" in the Collins English Dictionary online. Accessed on 2024-07-26. Spelling "angstrom" [ˈæŋstrʌm], [æŋstrəm]; symbols "Å", "A". https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/angstrom
William H. Bragg (1921): "The Crystal Structure of Ice". Proceedings of the Physical Society of London, volume 34, issue 1, page 98 doi:10.1088/1478-7814/34/1/322 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1478-7814/34/1/322
Oxford University Press (1986) Entry "Ångström (unit)" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1986); Archived on 2021-11-22. Spellings "Ångström" [ɔːŋstrœm] (capitalized) and "angstrom" (lowercase); symbols "Å", "Å.U.", "A.U." Quote: "The International Ångström (I.Å.) was defined in 1907 in terms of the wavelength of cadmium which in standard conditions is 6438·4696 I.Å. When the metre was defined in terms of the wavelength of krypton in 1960 the Ångström became exactly equal to 10−8 cm." https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223411/https://www.oed.com/oed2/00008552
Arturas Vailionis (2015): "Geometry of Crystals" Lecture slides for MatSci162_172, Geometry; Stanford University. Archived on 2015-03-19 https://web.stanford.edu/group/glam/xlab/MatSci162_172/LectureNotes/02_Geometry,%20RecLattice.pdf
Oxford University Press (1986) Entry "Ångström (unit)" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1986); Archived on 2021-11-22. Spellings "Ångström" [ɔːŋstrœm] (capitalized) and "angstrom" (lowercase); symbols "Å", "Å.U.", "A.U." Quote: "The International Ångström (I.Å.) was defined in 1907 in terms of the wavelength of cadmium which in standard conditions is 6438·4696 I.Å. When the metre was defined in terms of the wavelength of krypton in 1960 the Ångström became exactly equal to 10−8 cm." https://web.archive.org/web/20211122223411/https://www.oed.com/oed2/00008552
Bureau international des poids et measures (2019): Le système international d'unités, complete brochure, 9th edition. https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9.pdf/fcf090b2-04e6-88cc-1149-c3e029ad8232
NIST (2019): Special Publication 330: The International System of Units (SI) 2019 Edition. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-330
Ångström, A.J. (1868). Recherches sur le spectre solaire [Investigations of the solar spectrum] (in French). Uppsala, Sweden: W. Schultz. The 1869 edition (printed by Ferdinand Dümmler in Berlin) contains sketches of the solar spectrum. https://archive.org/details/recherchessurle00nggoog/page/n3
ChemTeam (2024)A Brief (Incomplete) History of Light and Spectra, from the ChemTeam website. Accessed on 2024-07-26. https://www.chemteam.info/Electrons/Spectrum-History2.html
Brand, John C. D. (1995). Lines of Light: Sources of Dispersive Spectroscopy, 1800-1930. CRC Press. p. 47. ISBN 9782884491631. 9782884491631
Albert A. Michelson (1895): "Détermination expérimentale de la valeur du mètre en longueurs d'ondes lumineuses" (= "Experimental determination of the value of the meter in terms of the lengths of light waves"); translated to French by Jean-René Benoît. Travaux et Mémoires du Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, volume 11, pages 1–85. Quote from p. 85, back-translated: "... the final conclusion of this work is that the fundamental unit of the metric system is represented by the following numbers of wavelengths of three emissions of cadmium, in air at 15 °C and at a pressure of 760 mm: Red emission … 1 m = 1553163,5λR ... It follows that the wavelengths of these emissions, always at 15 °C and at 760 mm, are (averages of three determinations): λR = 0,64384722μ" (where [1 μ = 1×10−6 m]" https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxh7er
Jean-René Benoît, Charles Fabry, and Alfred Pérot (1907): "Nouvelle Détermination du mètre en longueurs d'ondes lumineuses" (= "A new determination of the metre in terms of the wavelength of light"). Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences, volume 144, pages 1082-1086. /wiki/Charles_Fabry
Bureau international des poids et measures (1927): "Comptes rendus de la 7e réunion de la Conférence générale des poids et mesures" (= "Proceedings of the 7th meeting of the General Conference of Weights and Measures"), pages 85–88. Archived on 2018-11-18 https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/CGPM/CGPM7.pdf#page=87
J. A. Bearden (1965): "Selection of the W Kα₁ as the X-Ray Wavelength Standard". Physical Review 2nd series, volume 137, issue 2B, pages 455B–B461. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.137.B455 /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
NIST CODATA - Committee on Data for Science and Technology (2024): "Angstrom star". Symbol: "Å*". Accessed on 2024-07-26. https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?angstar
Curtis, I.; Morgan, I.; Hart, M.; Milne, A.D. (August 1971). "A New Determination of Avogadro's Number". In Langenberg, D. N.; Taylor, B.N. (eds.). Proceedings of the International Congress on Precision Measurement and Fundamental Constants (Report). Vol. 343. National Bureau of Standards. p. 285.
International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (8th ed.), p. 127, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-04, retrieved 2021-12-16 92-822-2213-6
Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor (2009): "B.8 Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically". NIST Guide to the SI, National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Accessed on 2019-03-02 https://www.nist.gov/physical-measurement-laboratory/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8
Bureau international des poids et measures (2019): Le système international d'unités, complete brochure, 9th edition. https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9.pdf/fcf090b2-04e6-88cc-1149-c3e029ad8232
NIST (2019): Special Publication 330: The International System of Units (SI) 2019 Edition. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-330
Council of the European Communities (1979): "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC". Accessed on 2011-09-23. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:20090527:EN:PDF
The Unicode Consortium (2021): The Unicode Standard, Version 14.0; Chapter 22.2 "Letterlike Symbols", page 839. ISBN 978-1-936213-29-0 https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode14.0.0/UnicodeStandard-14.0.pdf
The Unicode Consortium (2008): The Unicode Standard, Version 5.0; Chapter 15, "Symbols", page 493. ISBN 978-0-321-48091-0 https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode5.0.0/
The Unicode Consortium (2021): The Unicode Standard, Version 14.0; Chapter 22.2 "Letterlike Symbols", page 839. ISBN 978-1-936213-29-0 https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode14.0.0/UnicodeStandard-14.0.pdf
William H. Bragg (1921): "The Crystal Structure of Ice". Proceedings of the Physical Society of London, volume 34, issue 1, page 98 doi:10.1088/1478-7814/34/1/322 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1478-7814/34/1/322
International Astronomical Union (2012): "Resolution B2: On the re-definition of the astronomical unit of length". Proceedings of the XXVIII General Assembly of International Astronomical Union, Beijing, China. Quote: "... recommends ... 5. that the unique symbol 'au' be used for the astronomical unit." https://www.iau.org/static/resolutions/IAU2012_English.pdf
Oxford Journals (2012): "Instructions for Authors". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Archived on 22 October 2012 Quote: "The units of length/distance are Å, nm, μm, mm, cm, m, km, au, light-year, pc." https://web.archive.org/web/20121022064348/http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/mnras/for_authors/#6.4%20Miscellaneous%20journal%20style
American Astronomical Society (2016): "Manuscript Preparation: AJ & ApJ Author Instructions". Archived on 2016-02-21. Quote: "Use standard abbreviations for ... natural units (e.g., au, pc, cm)." https://web.archive.org/web/20160221121728/http://aas.org/authors/manuscript-preparation-aj-apj-author-instructions#_Toc2.2