| Abstract | Spectra have been obtained of two stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy, using an image Dissector Scanner on the ESO 3.6-m telescope. The stars were chosen because they lay near the top of the giant branch in a preliminary colour-magnitude diagram of the galaxy. Both stars are obvious carbons stars, showing strong Swan bands. The two stars have B - V < +2.0 and absolute magnitudes MV ≲ -3, and it may be that they are more like the CH stars in the globular cluster ω Centauri than classical galactic carbon stars. Carbon stars have now been found in several dwarf spheroidal galaxies, where they appear to be much more common than in our Galaxy. The radial velocity of the two stars is about +450 km s-1, corresponding to V0 ̃+180 km s-1 after correction for the solar motion with respect to the Local Group. |
