CSP Measures distance to Antennae
The CSP measures a new distance to the Antennae using Type IA supernova SN2007sr.
The Antennae galaxy (NGC 4038/4039)
Using its observations of the Type Ia supernova SN2007sr, the CSP has determined a new distance to the interacting galaxies NGC 4038/NGC 4039 (aka the Antennae). This new distance of approximately 22 ± 3 Mpc is in agreement with flow models (assuming Ho = 72 km/s/Mpc). However, it is in stark disagreement with recent TRGB distance estimates by Saviane et. al (2008) of 13.3 ± 1 Mpc. As discussed in their paper, Schweitzer et. al (2008), this is likely due to a misidentification of the TRGB. A re-analysis of the HST data used by Saviane et. al (2008) yields a more concordant distance of 20 ± 2 Mpc.
