Hubble space telescope fine guidance sensor astrometric parallaxes for three dwarf novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum

Thomas E. Harrison; Bernard J. McNamara; Paula Szkody; Barbara E. McArthur; G. F. Benedict; Arnold R. Klemola; Ronald L. Gilliland

doi:10.1086/311982

Hubble space telescope fine guidance sensor astrometric parallaxes for three dwarf novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum

Thomas E. Harrison, Bernard J. McNamara, Paula Szkody, Barbara E. McArthur, G. F. Benedict, Arnold R. Klemola, Ronald L. Gilliland

Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Abstract

We report astrometric parallaxes for three well-known dwarf novae obtained using the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We found a parallax for SS Aurigae of π = 5.00 ± 0.64 mas, for SS Cygni we found π = 6.02 ± 0.46 mas, and for U Geminorum we obtained π = 10.37 ± 0.50 mas. These represent the first true trigonometric parallaxes of any dwarf novae. We briefly compare these results with previous distance estimates. This program demonstrates that with a very modest amount of HST observing time, the Fine Guidance Sensors can deliver parallaxes with sub-milliarcsecond precision.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L93-L96
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	515
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/311982
State	Published - Apr 20 1999

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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@article{fd96c0cbe08143faa0748f37e60912f0,

title = "Hubble space telescope fine guidance sensor astrometric parallaxes for three dwarf novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum",

abstract = "We report astrometric parallaxes for three well-known dwarf novae obtained using the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We found a parallax for SS Aurigae of π = 5.00 ± 0.64 mas, for SS Cygni we found π = 6.02 ± 0.46 mas, and for U Geminorum we obtained π = 10.37 ± 0.50 mas. These represent the first true trigonometric parallaxes of any dwarf novae. We briefly compare these results with previous distance estimates. This program demonstrates that with a very modest amount of HST observing time, the Fine Guidance Sensors can deliver parallaxes with sub-milliarcsecond precision.",

author = "Harrison, {Thomas E.} and McNamara, {Bernard J.} and Paula Szkody and McArthur, {Barbara E.} and Benedict, {G. F.} and Klemola, {Arnold R.} and Gilliland, {Ronald L.}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank Denise Taylor and Ed Nelan for their help throughout our program. Support for this work was provided by NASA through grants GO-06538.01-95A and GO-07492.01.96A from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under NASA contract NAS5-26555.",

year = "1999",

month = apr,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/311982",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "515",

pages = "L93--L96",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Hubble space telescope fine guidance sensor astrometric parallaxes for three dwarf novae

T2 - SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum

AU - Harrison, Thomas E.

AU - McNamara, Bernard J.

AU - Szkody, Paula

AU - McArthur, Barbara E.

AU - Benedict, G. F.

AU - Klemola, Arnold R.

AU - Gilliland, Ronald L.

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank Denise Taylor and Ed Nelan for their help throughout our program. Support for this work was provided by NASA through grants GO-06538.01-95A and GO-07492.01.96A from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

PY - 1999/4/20

Y1 - 1999/4/20

N2 - We report astrometric parallaxes for three well-known dwarf novae obtained using the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We found a parallax for SS Aurigae of π = 5.00 ± 0.64 mas, for SS Cygni we found π = 6.02 ± 0.46 mas, and for U Geminorum we obtained π = 10.37 ± 0.50 mas. These represent the first true trigonometric parallaxes of any dwarf novae. We briefly compare these results with previous distance estimates. This program demonstrates that with a very modest amount of HST observing time, the Fine Guidance Sensors can deliver parallaxes with sub-milliarcsecond precision.

AB - We report astrometric parallaxes for three well-known dwarf novae obtained using the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We found a parallax for SS Aurigae of π = 5.00 ± 0.64 mas, for SS Cygni we found π = 6.02 ± 0.46 mas, and for U Geminorum we obtained π = 10.37 ± 0.50 mas. These represent the first true trigonometric parallaxes of any dwarf novae. We briefly compare these results with previous distance estimates. This program demonstrates that with a very modest amount of HST observing time, the Fine Guidance Sensors can deliver parallaxes with sub-milliarcsecond precision.

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VL - 515

SP - L93-L96

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART 2

ER -

Hubble space telescope fine guidance sensor astrometric parallaxes for three dwarf novae: SS Aurigae, SS Cygni, and U Geminorum

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