New distance measurements to the Pleiades and Formula Persei clusters
- 1 May 1994
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Vol. 268 (1) , 181-193
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/268.1.181
Abstract
We apply the new distance measuring technique of Hendry, O'Dell & Collier Cameron to the Pleiades and |$\alpha$| Persei clusters. The method relies on knowledge of the periods, rotational velocities and angular diameters of a small sample of the late-type stars within each cluster. The angular diameters of these stars were found by recalibrating the Barnes–Evans surface brightness relation for an improved calibration sample in the spectral range |$-0.15 \leq (B-V)_0\le 1.35$|. Applying our new distance method, we derive a true distance modulus |$(m-M)_0=5.60$| mag for the Pleiades, and |$(m-M)_0=6.35$| mag for |$\alpha$| Persei. Our determination of the Pleiades distance is in good agreement with previous zero-age main-sequence fitting techniques, whereas our distance for |$\alpha$| Persei appears substantially greater. In response to the greater distance for |$\alpha$| Persei, we apply the relatively recent semi-empirical main-sequence fitting method of Vandenberg & Poll, which yields a true distance modulus of |$(m-M)_0=6.25$| mag, thereby providing substantial support for our findings.Keywords
All Related Versions
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: