Related papers: The Extragalactic Distance Scale
Using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 37 long-period Cepheid variables have been discovered in the Fornax Cluster spiral galaxy NGC 1365. The resulting V and I period-luminosity relations yield a true distance modulus of 31.35 +/- 0.07…
Recent observations of Cepheids in the Virgo cluster have bolstered the evidence that supports a Hubble constant in 70-90 km/s/Mpc range. This evidence, by and large, probes the expansion of the Universe within 100 Mpc. We investigate the…
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), produced by the thermonuclear explosion of white dwarf (WD) stars, are used here to derive extragalactic distances and an estimate of the Hubble constant from their emission signatures at late phases ({\it…
Distances measured using Cepheid variable stars have been essential for establishing the cosmological distance scale and the value of the Hubble constant. These stars have remained the primary extragalactic distance indicator since 1929…
It is found that the ages of the most metal-poor Galactic globular clusters are probably around 18 Gyr. On the other hand a Hubble parameter of 82 +/- 8 km/sec/Mpc (in conjunction with the standard Einstein-de Sitter model with an Omega =1…
We report on the discovery of Cepheids in the Virgo spiral galaxy NGC 4535, based on observations made with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 4535 is one of 18 galaxies observed as a part of The…
The final efforts of the HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale are presented. Four distance indicators, the Surface Brightness Fluctuation method, the Fundamental Plane for early-type galaxies, the Tully-Fisher relation and…
New estimates of globular cluster distances, combined with revised ranges for input parameters in stellar evolution codes and recent estimates of the earliest redshift of cluster formation allow us to derive a new 95% confidence level lower…
We review the use of Type Ia supernovae for cosmological distance determinations. Low-redshift SNe Ia (z < 0.1) demonstrate that the Hubble expansion is linear, that H_0 = 65 +/- 2 (statistical) km/s/Mpc, and that the properties of dust in…
This paper introduces a statistical treatment to use Cepheid variable stars as distance indicators. The expansion rate of the Universe is also studied here through deriving the value of the Hubble constant H0. A Gaussian function…
The age of the Universe depends on both the present-day Hubble Constant and on the history of cosmic expansion. For decelerating cosmologies such as Omega_m= 1, the dimensionless product H_0,t_0<1 and modestly high values of the Hubble…
We have reanalyzed the age of the universe problem under the assumption that the lower limit on the age of the globular clusters is 11Gyr, as predicted by the recent Hipparcos data. We find that the globular cluster and the expansion ages…
The importance of the distance of the Virgo cluster in the ongoing debate on the value of the Hubble constant is reviewed. A new calibration of the Tully-Fisher 21-cm line width-absolute magnitude relation is made using Cepheid distances to…
Since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope nine years ago, Cepheid distances to 25 galaxies have been determined for the purpose of calibrating secondary distance indicators. A variety of these can now be calibrated, and the…
The measurement of precise galaxy distances by Cepheid observations out to the distance of the Virgo cluster is important for the determination of the Hubble constant ($H_0$). The Virgo cluster is thereby often used as an important stepping…
By chance, the slope of the Mv(max) versus (B-V)max relation for recent theoretical models of supernovae of Type Ia (SNe Ia) by Hoflich & Khokhlov is indistinguishable from the slope of a reddening line in the V versus B-V plane. This…
In the era of precision cosmology the Virgo cluster takes on a new role in the cosmic distance scale. Its traditional role of testing the consistency of secondary distance indicators is replaced by an ensemble of distance measurements…
We report on the first determination of the distance to the Coma Cluster based on surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) measurements obtained from Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 observations of the bright E0 galaxy NGC 4881 in the Coma Cluster…
For 100 years since galaxies were found to be flying apart from each other, astronomers have been trying to determine how fast. The expansion, characterized by the Hubble constant, H0, is confused locally by peculiar velocities caused by…
We have established an internally consistent Local Group distance framework, using the Galactic Center, the Large Magellanic Cloud, and Messier 31 (M31) as important stepping stones. At greater distances, few distance benchmarks are…