On the crucial cluster Andrews-Lindsay 1 and a 4% distance solution for its planetary nebula^⋆

¹ Department of Astronomy & Physics, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada
e-mail: dmajaess@ap.smu.ca
² Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS B3M 2J6, Canada
³ European Southern Observatory, Av. Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Santiago, Chile
⁴ Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 0610, Antofagasta, Chile
⁵ Departamento de Astronomia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonalves 9500, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
⁶ Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow M. V. Lomonosov State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia
⁷ Isaac Newton Institute of Chile, Moscow Branch, Universitetskij Pr. 13, 119992 Moscow, Russia
⁸ Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas (UNLP), Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata (CONICET, UNLP), Paseo del Bosque s/n, La Plata, Argentina

Received: 19 February 2014
Accepted: 22 April 2014

Abstract

Andrews-Lindsay 1 is a pertinent open cluster because it may host the planetary nebula (PN) PHR 1315-6555, yet ambiguities linger concerning its fundamental parameters (>50% scatter). New multiband BVJHW_{1 − 4} photometry for cluster and field stars, in concert with observations of recently discovered classical Cepheids, were used to constrain the reddening and velocity-distance profiles along the sightline. That analysis yielded the following parameters for the cluster: E(J − H) = 0.24 ± 0.03, d = 10.0 ± 0.4 kpc (d_JH = 9.9 ± 0.6 kpc, d_BV = 10.1 ± 0.5 kpc), and log τ = 8.90 ± 0.15. The steep velocity-distance gradient along ℓ ~ 305° indicates that two remote objects sharing spatial and kinematic parameters (i.e., PHR 1315-6555 and Andrews-Lindsay 1) are associated, thus confirming claims that the PN is a cluster member. The new distance for PHR 1315-6555 is among the most precise established yet for a Galactic PN (σ/d = 4%).