Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? VI. Extending to Virgo cluster distances

Abstract

We have established an internally consistent Local Group distance framework, using the Galactic Center, the Large Magellanic Cloud, and Messier 31 (M31) as important stepping stones. At greater distances, few distance benchmarks are available. As a consequence, M87 and/or Virgo cluster distances are often invoked as the next rung on the ladder to more distant objects such as the Fornax and Coma clusters. Therefore, we extensively mined the published literature for independently derived distance estimates to either M87 or the center of the Virgo cluster. Based on our newly compiled, comprehensive database of 213 such distances, published between 1929 and 2017 July, we recommend an outward extension to our distance framework, $(m-M{)}_0^{M87}=31.03\pm 0.14$ mag ($D=16.07\pm 1.03$ Mpc; where the uncertainty represents the Gaussian $\sigma$ of the distribution), based on a subset of recent (post-1990) M87/Virgo cluster distance measurements. The most stable distance tracers employed here were derived from analysis of both primary and secondary distance indicators. Among the former, we preferentially rely on Cepheid period--luminosity relations and red-giant-branch terminal magnitudes; our preferred secondary distance tracers are surface brightness fluctuations. Our updated distance modulus to M87 implies a slightly reduced black hole mass of $(5.9\pm 0.6)\times 10^9{M}_{\odot }$ with respect to that determined by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration.

10 pages, 2 figures; ApJS, in press

References in corpus (9)

• First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. The Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole
• A new Cepheid distance to the maser-host galaxy NGC 4258 and its implications for the Hubble Constant
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? I. The Large Magellanic Cloud
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? III. The Small Magellanic Cloud
• A Problem with the Clustering of Recent Measures of the Distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud
• The Metallicity Distribution of Intracluster Stars in Virgo
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? II. M31 and beyond
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? IV. The Galactic Center
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? V. Galactic rotation constants

Cited by in corpus (5)

• A Chandra Virgo cluster survey of spiral galaxies. I. Introduction to the survey and a new ULX sample
• Clustering of Local Group distances: publication bias or correlated measurements? VII. A distance framework out to 100 Mpc
• Median Statistics Estimate of the Distance to M87
• The Fornax3D project: Planetary nebulae catalogue and independent distance measurements to Fornax cluster galaxies
• Distance to M87 as the Mode of the Modulus Distribution