Distance to the Virgo Cluster Galaxy M100 from Hubble Space
Telescope Observations of Cepheids
Wendy L. Freedman, Barry F. Madore, Jeremy R. Mould, Robert Hill,
Laura Ferrarese, Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr., Abhijit Saha, Peter B.
Stetson, John A. Graham, Holland Ford, John G. Hoessel, John Huchra,
Shaun M. Hughes, & Garth D. Illingworth
Abstract
Accurate distances to galaxies are critical for determining the present
expansion rate of the Universe of Hubble constant (H0).
An important step in resolving the current uncertainty in H0
is the measurement of the distance to the Virgo cluster of galaxies.
New observations using the Hubble Space Telescope yield a distance of
17.1 +/- 1.8 Mpc. to the Virgo cluster galaxy M100. This distance
leads to a value of H0 = 80 +/- 17 km/s/Mpc
A comparable value of H0 is also derived
from the Coma cluster using independent estimates of its distance ratio
relative to the Virgo cluster.
Nature, Vol. 371, October 27, 1994, page 757.
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