Distance to the SMC from eclipsing binaries

Abstract

The preliminary distance to a long period eclipsing binary in the Small Magellanic Cloud SMC108.1.14904 is presented. The binary system contains two non-active G-type bright giants. The orbital period is 185 days and the orbit is circular. Using surface brightness calibration we calculated distance modulus to the system (m-M)= 19.02 +/- 0.04 (stat.) +/- 0.05 (syst.) mag, where systematic error is dominated by uncertainty of surface brightness calibration. This is a second eclipsing binary in the SMC analysed by our team.

IAU Symposium 289 contributed talk