A new milky way dwarf satellite in canes venatici

  • D. B. Zucker
  • , V. Belokurov
  • , N. W. Evans
  • , M. I. Wilkinson
  • , M. J. Irwin
  • , T. Sivarani
  • , S. Hodgkin
  • , D. M. Bramich
  • , J. M. Irwin
  • , G. Gilmore
  • , B. Willman
  • , S. Vidrih
  • , M. Fellhauer
  • , P. C. Hewett
  • , T. C. Beers
  • , E. F. Bell
  • , E. K. Grebel
  • , D. P. Schneider
  • , H. J. Newberg
  • , R. F.G. Wyse
  • C. M. Rockosi, B. Yanny, R. Lupton, J. A. Smith, J. C. Barentine, H. Brewington, J. Brinkmann, M. Harvanek, S. J. Kleinman, J. Krzesinski, D. Long, A. Nitta, S. A. Snedden

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

323 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this Letter, we announce the discovery of a new dwarf satellite of the Milky Way, located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was found as a stellar overdensity in the north Galactic cap using Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 5 (SDSS DR5). The satellite's color-magnitude diagram shows a well-defined red giant branch as well as a horizontal branch. As judged from the tip of the red giant branch, it lies at a distance of ∼220 kpc. Based on the SDSS data, we estimate an absolute magnitude of Mv ∼ -7.9, a central surface brightness of μ0,v ∼ 28 mag arcsec -2, and a half-light radius of ∼8′.!5 (∼550 pc at the measured distance). The outer regions of Canes Venatici appear extended and distorted. The discovery of such a faint galaxy in proximity to the Milky Way strongly suggests that more such objects remain to be found.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L103-L106
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume643
Issue number2 II
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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