THE DISTANCE TO THE LMC CLUSTER NGC 1866 AND THE SURROUNDING FIELD

We use the Main Sequence stars in the LMC cluster NGC 1866 and of Red Clump stars in the local field to obtain two independent estimates of the LMC distance. We apply an empirical Main Sequence-fitting technique based on a large sample of subdwarfs with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes in order to estimate the cluster distance modulus, and the multicolor Red Clump method to derive distance and reddening of the LMC field. We find that the Main Sequence-fitting and the Red Clump distance moduli are in significant disagreement; NGC 1866 distance is equal to (m M)0,NGC 1866 = 18.33±0.08 (consistent with a previous estimate using the same data and theoretical Main Sequence isochrones), while the field stars provide (m M)0,field = 18.53±0.07. This difference reflects the more general dichotomy in the LMC distance estimates found in the literature. Various possible causes for this disagreement are explored, with particular attention paid to the still uncertain metallicity of the cluster and the star formation history of the field stars. Subject headings: galaxies: clusters: individual(NGC 1866) – galaxies: distances and redshifts – galaxies: individual (Large Magellanic Cloud) – galaxies: stellar conten