\begin{table}%t1
\caption{Basic properties of M~83 and M~51.
$D_{25}\times d_{25}$ is the optical diameter from the RC3 catalogue.
%
$L_{\rm FIR}$ is the surface integrated far-infrared luminosity between 42.5 and 122.5$~\mu$m
using the listed distance.
%
$F_{60}/F_{100}$ is the IRAS color ratio of the surface integrated flux densities 
at $60~\mu$m and $100~\mu$m, corrected for extinction. 
\label{tab-the-sample}}
%\centerline
{\begin{tabular}{lrr}
\hline \hline
                             & M~83           & M~51 \\ 
\noalign{\smallskip} \hline \noalign{\smallskip}
% position as used in JCMT-CI and July-04-IRAM-30m observations:
RA(2000)                     &    13:37:00.5 & 13:29:52.7 \\
Dec(2000)                    & $-29$:51:55.3 & 47:11:43   \\
% derived M~51 eq1950 position: 13 27 46.323 +47 27 10.66  B1950.00 !! 3.3'' in DEC offset to Santi & Nieten ==> ok
%
% M~51 position used by Santi:
% RA: 13:27:46.100  DEC:  47:27:14.00  (1950.0) Offs:    0.0         0.0
% M~51 position used by Nieten et al.: CO 3-2 data set:
% RA: 13:27:46.100  DEC:  47:27:14.00  (1950.0)
% M~51 position used by Nieten et al.: CO 4-3 data set:
% RA: 13:27:46.100  DEC:  47:27:14.00  (1950.0)
%
Type                         & SAB(s)c$^{(1)}$   & SA(s)bc pec$^{(1)}$ \\
 %RC3: see "Global physical parameters of galaxies'' by G. de Vaucouleurs
Distance [Mpc]               & 3.7$^{(5)}$         & 9.6 $^{(4)}$ \\
$10''$ correspond to         & 179~pc             & 465~pc \\
Heliocentric velocity [km~s$^{-1}$]  & 516$^{(1)}$ & 463$^{(1)}$ \\ % v_21
 %old: 510                 & 470 \\
Position Angle [deg]         & 45 $^{(2)}$        & 170 \\ 
 %old: Position Angle [deg]         & 225 $^{(2)}$        & $-10$ \\ 
 % RC3: M~51: 163 CCW, i.e. -17
Inclination [deg]            & 24 $^{(2)}$         & $20$ \\
$D_{25}\times d_{25}$ [$'$] &  $12.9\times11.5$$^{(1)}$ & $11.2\times6.9$$^{(1)}$ \\
 %old: 6.45$^{(1)}$        & 5.6$^{(1)}$ \\
$L_{\rm FIR}$ [$10^9$~\lsun]& $7.1^{(3)}$         & $14^{(3)}$ \\ 
 % Rice ea 1988, Table 4, corrected for new distance (cf. plot_m83_hires.graphic)
$F_{60}/F_{100}$             & $0.43^{(3)}$        & $0.44^{(3)}$ \\ % Rice ea 1988, Table 3, color-corrected
$F_{60}$ [Jy]                & $286^{(3)}$         & $85^{(3)}$ \\ 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\noalign{\smallskip} \hline \noalign{\smallskip}
\end{tabular}}
\smallskip
References: 
(1) RC3 catalogue \citep{devaucouleurs1991}; 
(2) \citet{talbot1979}, \cite{tully1988};
(3) \citet{rice1988};
(4) \citet{sandage_tammann1975};
(5) \citet{devaucouleurs1979}.
\par
\end{table}