Measuring the Hubble Constant with the Hubble Space Telescope
W. Freedman, R. Kennicutt, J. Mould
TL;DR
This paper reports a decade-long effort using the Hubble Space Telescope to measure the Hubble Constant, calibrating distance indicators with Cepheids to refine the universe's expansion rate to 72 km/sec/Mpc.
Contribution
It presents a precise measurement of the Hubble Constant using Cepheid variables and secondary distance indicators, reducing previous uncertainties significantly.
Findings
H_0 = 72 +/- 8 km/sec/Mpc
Calibration of secondary distance indicators
Resolved large uncertainties in galaxy distances
Abstract
Ten years ago our team completed the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the extragalactic distance scale. Cepheids were detected in some 25 galaxies and used to calibrate four secondary distance indicators that reach out into the expansion field beyond the noise of galaxy peculiar velocities. The result was H_0 = 72 +/- 8 km/sec/Mpc and put an end to galaxy distances uncertain by a factor of two. This work has been awarded the Gruber Prize in Cosmology for 2009.
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Taxonomy
TopicsHistory and Developments in Astronomy