John J. Feldmeier et al 1996 ApJ 461 L25 doi:10.1086/309994
John J. Feldmeier1, Robin Ciardullo1,3,4 and George H. Jacoby2
Show affiliationsWe report the results of an [O III] λ5007 survey for planetary nebulae (PNs) in the giant Sc galaxy M101 (NGC 5457). By comparing on-band/off-band [O III] λ5007 images with images taken in Hα and the R-band filter, we identify 65 PN candidates in the interarm and outer regions of the galaxy. From these data and the empirical planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF), we derive a distance to the galaxy of 7.7 ± 0.5 Mpc, in excellent agreement with the distance of 7.4 ± 0.7 Mpc measured using Hubble Space Telescope observations of Cepheids (Kelson and coworkers). This observation demonstrates that the PNLF technique can be successfully applied to late-type galaxies, and provides an important overlap between the Population I and Population II distance scales. It also places a strong limit on the possible variation of the PNLF with population age.
distance scale; galaxies: distances and redshifts; galaxies: individual (M101, NGC 5457); planetary nebulae: general
Issue 1 (1996 April 10)
Received 1995 October 3, accepted for publication 1996 January 11
John J. Feldmeier et al 1996 ApJ 461 L25
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