1999/06/01 by Andrew Gould · 1 citation
Decision Sciences · Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Artificial intelligence #Astrometry #Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Computer science #Distance measurement #Estimator #Geometry #Kinematics #Large Magellanic Cloud #Line (geometry) #Mathematics #Photometry (optics) #Physics #Proper motion #Radial velocity #Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation #Sky #Small Magellanic Cloud #Stars #Statistics #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Systematic error #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/308169
submitted to ApJ, 13 pages
arxiv created 1999/06/01 · openalex publication_date 2000/01/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) can be directly determined by measuring three of its properties: its radial velocity field, its mean proper motion, and the position angle ϕ ph of its photometric line of nodes. Statistical errors of ~2% are feasible based on proper motions obtained with any of several proposed astrometry satellites, the earliest possibility being the Full-Sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer ( FAME ). The largest source of systematic error is likely to be in the determination of ϕ ph . I suggest two independent methods to measure ϕ ph , one based on counts of clump giants and the other on photometry of clump giants. I briefly discuss a variety of methods to test for other sources of systematic errors.