title: A VLBI resolution of the Pleiades distance controversy.
abstract: Because of its proximity and its youth, the Pleiades open cluster of stars has been extensively studied and serves as a cornerstone for our understanding of the physical properties of young stars. This role is called into question by the "Pleiades distance controversy," wherein the cluster distance of 120.2 ± 1.5 parsecs (pc) as measured by the optical space astrometry mission Hipparcos is significantly different from the distance of 133.5 ± 1.2 pc derived with other techniques. We present an absolute trigonometric parallax distance measurement to the Pleiades cluster that uses very long baseline radio interferometry (VLBI). This distance of 136.2 ± 1.2 pc is the most accurate and precise yet presented for the cluster and is incompatible with the Hipparcos distance determination. Our results cement existing astrophysical models for Pleiades-age stars.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0424, USA. cmelis@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Array Operations Center, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA.
authors.forename: Amy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mioduszewski
authors.affiliation: Spitzer Science Center (SSC), 1200 East California Boulevard, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stauffer
authors.affiliation: Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), 645 North A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Bower