A Cepheid Distance to the Fornax Cluster

Authors :: Madore, B. F.
Freedman, W. L.
Silbermann, N.
Harding, P.
Huchra, J.
Mould, J. R.
Graham, J. A.
Ferrerase, L.
Gibson, B. K.
Han, M.
Hoessel, J. G.
Hughes, S. M.
Illingworth, G. D.
Phelps, R.
Sakai, S.
Stetson, P.
Publication Year :: 1998
Publisher :: arXiv, 1998.
Abstract: The Hubble Space Telescope is being used to measure accurate Cepheid distances to nearby galaxies with the ultimate aim of determining the Hubble constant, H_0. For the first time, it has become feasible to use Cepheid variables to derive a distance to a galaxy in the southern hemisphere cluster of Fornax. Based on the discovery of 37 Cepheids in the Fornax galaxy NGC 1365, a distance to this galaxy of 18.6 +/- 0.6 Mpc (statistical error only) is obtained. This distance leads to a value of H_0 = 70 +/- 7 (random) +/- 18 (systematic) km/sec/Mpc in good agreement with estimates of the Hubble constant further afield.<br />Comment: Sept. 3 issue of Nature, 11 pages plus 4 figures