A Faint New Milky Way Satellite in Bootes

2006401 citationsJournal Articlebronze Open Access

Authors

Vasily Belokurov · University of Cambridge

D. B. Zucker · University of Cambridge

N. W. Evans · University of Cambridge

M. I. Wilkinson · University of Cambridge

M. J. Irwin · University of Cambridge

S. T. Hodgkin · University of Cambridge

D. M. Bramich ·

Abstract

In this Letter, we announce the discovery of a new satellite of the Milky Way in the constellation of Bootes at a distance of 60 kpc. It was found in a systematic search for stellar overdensities in the North Galactic Cap using Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 5 (SDSS DR5). The color-magnitude diagram shows a well-defined turn-off, red giant branch, and extended horizontal branch. Its absolute magnitude is -5.8, which makes it one of the faintest galaxies known. The half-light radius is 220 pc. The isodensity contours are elongated and have an irregular shape, suggesting that Boo may be a disrupted dwarf spheroidal galaxy.

Topics & Keywords

Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae

Publication Details

Published in: The Astrophysical Journal

Volume 647, Issue 2, pp. L111-L114

DOI: 10.1086/507324

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 28.32

Command Palette

A Faint New Milky Way Satellite in Bootes

Authors

Abstract

Topics & Keywords

Publication Details