The Virgo Cluster Distance

The Virgo Cluster's distance from us (our Milky Way galaxy, or the Local Group) is of great importance for the understanding of our intergalactic neighborhood, for the cosmic distance scale, and for cosmological issues. It is currently estimated close to our value of 60 million light years, but was historically given at significantly other, typically lower values.

A table of historic Virgo Cluster distance determinations and estimates is given here:

Year  Source                                          m-M            d(Mly)

1931  E. Hubble and M, Humason. ApJ 74, 43           26.3              5.9
1936  E. Hubble. "Realm of the Nebulae"              26.7              7.1
1955  W. Baum. PASP 67, 328                          30.2             35.7
1958  A. Sandage. ApJ 127, 513                    (>)30.8             47.1
1960  J. Sersic. ZfA 50, 168                         30.0             32.6
      Yu. P. Pskovskii. Sov Astron 4, 805            29.8  +/- 0.7    29.7
1962  A. Sandage. IAU Symp 15, 359                   30.7             45.0
1964  E. Holmberg. Arkiv Astron 3, 419               30.76            46.3
1968  A. Sandage. ApJ 152, L149                   (>)31.1             54.1
1969  C.T. Kowal. PASP 81, 608                       30.6  +/- 0.3    42.9
1970  G. de Vaucouleurs. ApJ 159, 435                31.5             65.0
1971  J. Heidmann et.al. MmRAS 75, 85                30.9  +/- 0.5    49.3
1974  A. Sandage, G.A. Tammann. ApJ 194, 559         31.45 +/- 0.09   63.6
1976  A. Sandage, G.A. Tammann. ApJ 210, 7           31.70 +/- 0.08   71.3
1977  G. de Vaucouleurs. Nature 266, 126             30.4  +/- 0.3    39.2
      D.A. Hanes. MNRAS 180, 309                     30.4  +/- 0.5    39.2
      J. Heidmann. IAU Coll 37, 487                  30.7  +/- 0.5    45.0
      G.A. Tammann. IAU Coll 37, 43                  31.55 +/- 0.12   66.6
      R.B. Tully, J.R. Fisher. AAp 54, 661           30.60            42.9
      R.B. Tully, J.R. Fisher. IAU Coll 37, 95       30.8  +/- 0.2    47.1
1978  N. Visvanathan. AAp 67, L17                    30.60 +/- 0.39   42.9
1979  M. Aaronson et.al. ApJ 229, 1                  31.07 +/- 0.25   53.4
      G. de Vaucouleurs. ApJ 227, 729                30.52            41.4
      D.A. Hanes. MNRAS 188, 901                     30.7  +/- 0.3    45.0
      W.E. Harris, R. Racine. An.Rev.Ast.Ap 17, 241  30.9  +/- 0.3    49.3
      R.C. Kennicut. ApJ 228, 696                    31.20            56.7
      N. Visvanathan, D. Griersmith. ApJ 230, 1      31.26 +/- 0.16   58.2
1980  D. Branch et.al. Bull AAS 11, 694              32.0  +/- 0.6    81.9
      B. Carney (cit. in Mould et.al 1980)           30.53 +/- 0.13   41.6
      J. Mould et.al. ApJ 238, 458                   30.98 +/- 0.08   51.2
1981  D. Branch et.al. ApJ 244, 780                  31.81 +/- 0.28   75.0
      N. Visvanathan. Proc ASA 4, 172                31.15            55.4
1982  W.D. Arnett. ApJ 254, 1                        31.0  +/- 0.3    51.7
      G. de Vaucouleurs. ApJ 253, 520                30.88 +/- 0.09   48.9
      G. de Vaucouleurs, D. Olson. ApJ 256, 346      30.51 +/- 0.2    41.2
      D.A. Hanes. MNRAS 201, 145                     30.8  +/- 0.2    47.1
1983  M. Aaronson, J. Mould. ApJ 265, 1              31.08 +/- 0.11   53.7
      R. Buta, G. de Vaucouleurs. ApJS 51, 149       30.69 +/- 0.3    44.8
      R. Buta, G. de Vaucouleurs. ApJ 266, 1         30.63 +/- 0.2    43.6
      D.A. Hanes. Highlights of Astronomy 6, 227     30.8             47.1
      N. Visvanathan. ApJ 275, 430                   31.37            61.3
1984  L. Bottinelli et.al. AApS 56, 381              30.88 +/- 0.15   48.9
      O.-G. Richter, W.K. Huchtmeier. AAp 132, 253   31.90 +/- 0.30   78.2
      R.B. Tully, E. Shaya. ApJ 281, 31              31.12 +/- 0.08   54.6


      our value                                      31.325           60

Reference:

Otto-Georg Richter, 1984. The Historical Evolution of the Virgo Cluster Distance Modulus. P. 409-411 (here Table I on p. 411) in: Otto-Georg Richter and Bruno Binggeli (eds.), Proceedings of the ESO Workshop on The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies, Garching, 4-7 September 1984, ESO Conference Proceedings No. 20, ESO, Garching, 1985.

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: May 18, 2003