A Complete 2dF Survey of Fornax

Abstract

We are using the 2dF spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope to obtain spectra for a complete sample of all 14000 objects with 16.5<B<19.7 in a 12 square degree area centred on the Fornax cluster. The aims of this project include the study of dwarf galaxies in the cluster (both known low surface brightness objects and putative normal surface brightness dwarfs) and a comparison sample of background field galaxies. We will also measure quasars, any previously unrecognised compact galaxies and a large sample of Galactic stars. Here we present initial results from the first 680 objects observed, including the discovery of a number of dwarf galaxies in the cluster more compact than any previously known.

Two pages (LaTeX, uses lamuphys.sty, included); one figure; to appear in Proceedings of the ESO/ATNF Workshop ``Looking Deep in the Southern Sky'', Sydney, Australia, 10--12 December 1997, eds. R. Morganti and W. Couch