| Abstract | CCD light curves in the V-, B- and I-bands are presented for seven Cepheid variables in the LMC cluster NGC 1866. The data are combined with previously published photoelectric photometry of short-period LMC Cepheids [log P(day) < 1] in combination with a revised calibration of the distances to galactic Cepheids in clusters and associations to give distance moduli of 18.41 mag (B-V, P-L-C), 18.51 mag (V-I, P-L-C) and 18.44 mag (P-L) for the LMC. The weighted mean distance and external error is 18.44±0.15 mag. The short-period Cepheids appear to be slightly less luminous than expected from extrapolation of results for the longer period LMC Cepheids. These P-L-C moduli assume that helium and metal abundances are correlated, if not then these distances will be overestimated by 0.03 mag, while incomplete filling of the instability strip may cause the P-L modulus to be overestimated by 0.05 - 0.1 mag. |
