Related papers: The LMC distance modulus from Hipparcos RR Lyrae a…
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 use the method of statistical parallax to constrain the distance-scale zero points and analyze the kinematics of extensive samples of Galactic classical Cepheids, RR Lyrae type variables, and blue horizontal branch stars, which serve as…
We present results from a well studied delta Scuti star discovered in the LMC. The absolute magnitude of the variable was determined from the PL relation for Galactic delta Scuti stars and from the theoretical modeling of the observed B,V,I…
Context: The distance to the Galactic Centre (GC) is of importance for the distance scale in the Universe. The value derived by Eisenhauer et al. (2005) of 7.62 +- 0.32 kpc based on the orbit of one star around the central black hole is…
The most recent Hubble constant ($H_0)$ estimates from local methods (z << 1), $H_0=73.8\pm 2.4$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, and the one from high redshifts $H_0=67.3\pm 1.2$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, are discrepant at $2.4 \sigma$ confidence…
We present new and accurate near-infrared (NIR) J, K-band time series data for the Galactic globular cluster (GC) M5 = NGC5904. Data were collected with SOFI at the NTT (71 J + 120 K images) and with NICS at the TNG (25 J + 22 K images) and…
We analyze the mean luminosity of three samples of field RRab Lyr stars observed in the course of the OGLE microlensing experiment: 73 stars from the Galactic bulge and 110 and 128 stars from selected fields in the LMC and SMC,…
Period-luminosity relations (PLRs) of type II Cepheids (T2Cs) in the Small Magellanic Cloud are derived based on OGLE-III, IRSF/SIRIUS and other data, and these are compared with results for the Large Magellanic Cloud and Galactic globular…
We review seven methods of measuring the absolute magnitude M_V of RR Lyrae stars in light of the Hipparcos mission and other recent developments. We focus on identifying possible systematic errors and rank the methods by relative immunity…
We use recently updated globular cluster distances to estimate the distance to the Galactic centre, finding 7.4 \pm 0.2|stat \pm 0.2|sys kpc from symmetry considerations. We recalibrate the red clump magnitude from Hipparcos stars, finding…
We present relation of the mean I-band brightness of red clump stars on metallicity. Red clump stars were proposed to be a very attractive standard candle for distance determination. The calibration is based on 284 nearby red giant stars…
We present results of the analysis of 70 RR Lyrae stars located in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Combining spectroscopically determined metallicity of these stars from the literature with precise periods from the OGLE III…
We have used new parallax measurements, obtained by the Hipparcos satellite, of fifteen nearby, metal-poor stars to re-define the subdwarf main-sequence. All of these stars have parallaxes determined to an accuracy of at least 12 %.…
Recent HST determinations of the expansion's rate of the Universe (the Hubble constant, H_0) assumed that the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation at V and I are independent of metallicity (Freedman, et al., 1996, Saha et al., 1996, Tanvir et…
We derive the basic properties of seven Galactic open clusters containing Cepheids and construct their period-luminosity (P-L) relations. For our cluster main-sequence fitting we extend previous Hyades-based empirical color-temperature…
We present time-series observations of Population \rom{2} Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud at near-infrared ($JHK_s$) wavelengths. Our sample consists of 81 variables with accurate periods and optical ($VI$) magnitudes from the OGLE…
The VMC survey is obtaining multi-epoch photometry in the Ks band of the Magellanic System down to a limiting magnitude of Ks ~ 19.3 for individual epoch data. The observations are spaced in time such as to provide optimal sampling of the…
The Carnegie Hubble Program (CHP) is designed to improve the extragalactic distance scale using data from the post-cryogenic era of Spitzer. The ultimate goal is a determination of the Hubble constant to an accuracy of 2%. This paper is the…
The Hubble constant ($H_0$) is a key parameter in cosmology, yet its precise value remains contentious due to discrepancies between early- and late-universe measurement methods, a problem known as the "Hubble tension." In this study, we…
We have used the infrared surface brightness technique to obtain a new absolute calibration of the Cepheid PL relation in optical and near-infrared bands from improved data on Galactic stars. The infrared surface brightness distances to the…