| Abstract | CCD photometry in B and V, obtained at the ESO 2.2-m telescope, for a field in the Phoenix dwarf galaxy, is presented. Our data indicate that the galaxy is dominated by an old metal-poor population, similar to that of the galactic globular clusters M 3 and M 92. The distance modulus is somewhat uncertain ((m - M)_v_ = 23.5 +/- 0.5), but there are indications that the Phoenix dwarf galaxy belongs to the Local Group. A small amount (~10^4^M_sun_) of stars of a young population (t~10^7^ yrs) is also present. We suggest the Phoenix dwarf galaxy is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in which a second recent burst of star formation has occurred. |
