Work

Accurate proper motion measurements of two water masers in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We report the results of a four-epoch very long baseline interferometry experiment targeting seventeen water maser sources in the Magellanic Clouds with the Long Baseline Array. We have measured accurate proper motions for water masers associated with two star formation regions N 180 and N 157A, both in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The water masers have proper motions of left parenthesis 1.79 plus or minus 0.13 comma 0.89 plus or minus 0.03 right parenthesis ( 1.79 ± 0.13 , 0.89 ± 0.03 ) $(1.79\pm{}0.13, 0.89\pm{}0.03)$ milliarcseconds per year and left parenthesis 1.74 plus or minus 0.29 comma 0.55 plus or minus 0.08 right parenthesis ( 1.74 ± 0.29 , 0.55 ± 0.08 ) $(1.74\pm{}0.29, 0.55\pm{}0.08)$ milliarcseconds per year in right ascension and declination, respectively. These results are consistent with the proper motions of nearby stars and the bulk motion of the Large Magellanic Cloud as measured by Gaia, providing independent non-optical evidence of the Large Magellanic Cloud’s motion.

Source: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia