Related papers: The RR Lyrae Distance Scale

CCD time-series observations of the central region of the globular cluster NGC~3201 were obtained with the aim of performing the Fourier decomposition of the light curves of the RR~Lyrae stars present in that field. This procedure gave the…

Recent Hipparcos results have lent support to the idea that RR Lyrae variables in the halo field and in globular clusters differ in luminosity by ~0.2mag. In this Letter, we study the pulsation properties of RR Lyraes in clusters with…

RR Lyrae stars in the bulge have been reported to be associated with the spheroidal, relatively metal-poor component. They offer a way to trace this component with precise distances. While a few studies of RR Lyrae spectra with medium/high…

We present the first CCD variability study of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The data were obtained with the FLWO 1.2 m telescope on 22 nights, over a period of 10 months, covering a 22 x 22 arcmin field centered at RA=17:19:57.5,…

We present new Near-Infrared (J,K) magnitudes for 114 RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster Omega Cen (NGC 5139) which we combine with data from the literature to construct a sample of 180 RR Lyrae stars with J and K mean magnitudes on a…

That the RR Lyrae star period -- K-band luminosity relation is a promising tool as a distance indicator in the Milky Way and Local Group of Galaxies is apparent on observational and theoretical grounds in the literature. Less clear is the…

We present an analysis of \emph{VI} CCD time-series photometry of the Oo II type globular cluster M92. The variable star population of the cluster is studied with the aim of revising their classifications, identifications, frequency spectra…

We present a multiband (UBVRI) time-series photometric study of RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in the globular cluster Messier 53 (NGC 5024) to refine their pulsation properties and determine a precise cluster distance. The archival photometric data…

We briefly describe a method of obtaining relative intrinsic stellar parameters, such as absolute magnitudes and colors from the light curves of fundamental mode RR Lyrae (RRab) stars. Absolute stellar parameters of double-mode variables…

RR Lyrae stars are of great importance for investigations of Galactic structure. However, a complete compendium of all RR-Lyraes in the solar neighbourhood with accurate classifications and coordinates does not exist to this day. Here we…

The slope and zero-point of the unevolved main sequence as a function of metallicity are investigated using a homogeneous catalog of nearby field stars with absolute magnitudes defined with revised Hipparcos parallaxes, Tycho-2 photometry,…

We measure homogeneous distances to M31 and 38 associated stellar systems ($-$16.8$\le M_V \le$ $-$6.0), using time-series observations of RR Lyrae stars taken as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Treasury Survey of M31 Satellites. From…

A systematic study of RR Lyrae stars is performed based on a selected sample of 655 objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud with observation of long span and numerous measurements by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment III project.…

The status of the determination of the Hubble constant is reviewed, setting out the evidence for the long distance scale with H_0=55+/-5. In parallel, various precepts said to favor the short distance scale with H_0>70 are discussed. The…

A number of recent technical developments, including the Hipparcos satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensors and long base line near-IR interferometry has made it possible to employ several largely geometrical methods to…

We present new time-series CCD photometry, in the B and V bands, for the moderately metal-rich ([Fe/H] ~ -1.3) Galactic globular cluster (GC) M62 (NGC 6266). The present dataset is the largest obtained so far for this cluster, and consists…

Aims: We provide a new distance estimate for the Pleiades based on the moving cluster method, which will be useful to further discuss the so-called Pleiades distance controversy and compare it with the very precise parallaxes from the Gaia…

We have begun developing a new metallicity calibration for RR Lyrae stars that includes high-temperature phase regions. Our calibration is an updated and expanded version of the Delta-S, equivalent width method, but which is applicable for…

I demonstrate that the two unexpected results in the local Universe: anomalous intrinsic (V-I)_0 colors of RR Lyrae stars and clump giants in the Galactic center, and very short distances to Magellanic Clouds inferred from clump giants, can…

We present new observational results on the RR Lyrae K-band Period-Luminosity relation (PLK). Data on the Galactic globular clusters NGC 3201 and NGC 4590 (M68), and on the Large Magellanic Cloud cluster Reticulum are shown. We compare the…