Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies in the M101 group and behind it
Abstract
We use images from the Hubble Space Telescope to determine the distances to a dozen objects with low surface brightness recently observed around the bright nearby spiral M101. Only two dwarf galaxies, M101-DwA and M101-Dw9, turn out to be actual satellites of M101 at distances of about 7 Mpc. The other objects are probably members of a distant group around the S0-galaxies NGC 5485/5473. Based on the radial velocities and projected separations of the 9 satellites, we obtain an estimate of (8.53.0)× 1011 M for the total mass of M101, which is consistent with a ratio 166 for the total mass to the stellar mass of the galaxy.
Turn this paper into a lesson
ArcXiv compiles a structured reading guide from this paper's metadata: plain-English importance, contributions, prerequisite concepts, which sections to read first, flashcards, and a quiz. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.