Accurate geometric distances, which are inherently free of systematic effects are of very great importance for an independent recalibration of extragalactic distance estimators. Local Group galaxies are close enough for both primary and secondary distance indicators to be readily isolated in ground- and space-based observations. Astrometric accuracies of a few micro-arcseconds based on Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of water masers in high-mass star-forming regions in nearby galaxies allow a measurement of the proper motions of these masers. Since these high-mass star-forming regions rotate with the galaxies, one can deduce a rotational parallax by comparing the known rotation curve with the proper motions of the masers. I provide an update of our previous rotation parallax of M33 and show first results of observations of the recently discovered water masers in the Andromeda galaxy (M31).

We alert the community to a paradigm method to calibrate a range of standard candles by means of well-calibrated photometry of eclipsing binaries in star clusters. In particular, we re-examine systems studied as part of our Binaries-in-Clusters program, and previously analyzed with earlier versions of the Wilson–Devinney light-curve modeling program. We make use of the 2010 version of this program, which incorporates a procedure to estimate the distance to an eclipsing system directly, as a system parameter, and is thus dependent on the data and analysis model alone. As such, the derived distance is accorded a standard error, independent of any additional assumptions or approximations that such analyses conventionally require.

Spectroscopy and photometry of eclipsing binaries and Cepheids (using the Baade–Wesselink method) yield primary distance markers applicable to the Local Group of galaxies. The technique of disentangling spectra has proved helpful in resolving stellar physical parameters. Our method also allows us to disentangle interstellar absorption lines and, thus, to complement the radial-velocity structure of the interstellar medium with an (otherwise unattainable) upper limit to its distance. The mapping of the spatial and kinematic structure of the stellar and interstellar components of the Magellanic Clouds and Stream enables constraining their tidal evolution and, thus, of the mass of the Galaxy.

With the advent of precision cosmology, where distances out to redshifts z < 0.6 can be measured to 2% precision on the basis of baryon acoustic oscillations, it appears essential to establish an accurate calibration of the primary and secondary indicators of the cosmological distance ladder. Here we review recent attempts at anchoring M31 very accurately using three independent methods, and discuss in detail the systematics that affect each. Two double-lined eclipsing binaries yield a distance to M31 which is precise to 4%. New Bayesian methods have been applied to determine the tip of the red-giant branch, even in sparsely populated colour–magnitude diagrams, and provide unique insights in the context of a precise three-dimensional distribution of the satellites in the M31 system. Over 2500 Cepheids have been identified in large-scale multi-colour surveys of M31, the largest homogeneous data set thus far obtained for any galaxy. A subset of 68 with periods longer than 10 days have been observed with the Wide-Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope, yielding the tightest-ever near-infrared period–luminosity relation, with a mean distance error of 1%. Combined with other measurements, the distance to M31 is now measured with a precision of 3%. Forthcoming improvements, and their implications, are also discussed.

We study the correlations of rotation velocity and absolute magnitude with surface brightness for low surface brightness dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs). We find that isolated objects contribute most to the scatter in the Tully–Fisher relation (TFR). Excluding these extreme cases, we develop a three-parameter (luminosity, Hi line width at 20% of peak flux level, i.e., W20, effective surface brightness) TFR for 60 dIrrs (with revised Hubble type T > 8) in the Local Volume (LV) with Cepheid and tip-of-the-red-giant-branch distance measurements. The relation is applied to galaxies of the same morphological type with radial velocities vLG ≤ 3500 km s−1 in the Local Supercluster. We obtained surface photometry and determined structural parameters using sdss images. The rotational velocities and derived photometric parameters for most galaxies in small groups agree well with those corresponding to the three-parameter TFR. However, isolated galaxies appear to have systematically lower surface brightnesses and longer scale lengths for the same luminosity than galaxies in small groups. This may indicate on average twice larger Hi-to-optical disk size ratios for our sample of isolated dIrrs, because their Hi surface densities calculated using the optical diameters look normal.

The tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) is one of the most accurate distance indicators to galaxies in the Local Universe (for distances up to 8–10 Mpc). A distance accuracy as high as 5% can be achieved with the recently developed maximum-likelihood implementation of the TRGB method and modern calibrations. In this paper, we consider in detail TRGB distance determinations to nearby groups of galaxies (within 8 Mpc). We discuss the photometric accuracy and describe colour–magnitude-diagram features of nearby dwarf galaxies and their influence on the accuracy of distance determination. We have determined accurate structures of the two nearest galaxy groups, M81 and Cen A, using observations of galaxies in these groups with the Hubble Space Telescope's WFPC2 and ACS instruments. The new technique allows us to see new details in the distribution of galaxies in the Canes Venatici i Cloud.

Although the method has no theoretical explanation, the [Oiii]λ5007Å planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) is an extremely valuable tool for obtaining accurate (< 10%) extragalactic distances out to ~ 18 Mpc. Because the PNLF works in large galaxies of all Hubble types, it is one of the best tools we have for cross-checking the results of other methods and identifying systematic offsets between the Population I and Population II distance ladders. We review the PNLF's calibration and show that the method's Cepheid-derived zero point is virtually identical to that inferred from measurements of the tip of the red giant branch. We then compare the PNLF to the surface brightness fluctuations method and demonstrate that the latter's calibration yields a distance scale that is ~ 15% larger than that of the PNLF. We argue that this offset is likely due to a number of factors, including the effects of reddening on both of the techniques. We conclude by discussing the use of the PNLF for supernovae Type Ia calibration and considering the outstanding problems associated with the method.

To constrain models of dark energy, a precise measurement of the Hubble constant, H0, provides a powerful complement to observations of the cosmic microwave background. Recent, precise measurements of H0 have been based on the ‘extragalactic distance ladder,’ primarily using observations of Cepheid variables and Type Ia supernovae as standard candles. In the past, these methods have been limited by systematic errors, so independent methods of measuring H0 are of high value. Direct geometric distance measurements to circumnuclear H2O megamasers in the Hubble flow provide a promising new method to determine H0. The Megamaser Cosmology Project (MCP) is a systematic effort to discover suitable H2O megamasers and determine their distances, with the aim of measuring H0 to a few percent. Based on observations of megamasers in UGC 3789 and NGC 6264, and preliminary results from Mrk 1419, the MCP has so far measured H0 = 68.0 ± 4.8 km s−1 Mpc−1. This measurement will improve as distances to additional galaxies are incorporated. With the Green Bank Telescope, we recently discovered three more excellent candidates for distance measurements, and we are currently acquiring data to measure their distances.

In the era of precision cosmology, the Virgo cluster takes on a new role in the cosmic distance scale. Its traditional role of testing the consistency of secondary distance indicators is replaced by an ensemble of distance measurements within the Local Supercluster, united by a velocity-field model obtained from a reconstruction based on redshift surveys. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) leads us to see the Hubble constant as one of six parameters in a standard model of cosmology with considerable covariance among parameters. Independent experiments, such as WMAP, the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale, and their successors constrain these parameters.

The 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS) is an all-southern-sky galaxy survey, including 125,000 redshifts and a Fundamental Plane (FP) subsample of 10,000 peculiar velocities. This makes 6dFGS the largest peculiar-velocity sample to date. We have fitted the FP with a tri-variate Gaussian model using a maximum-likelihood approach, and derive the Bayesian probability distribution of the peculiar velocity for each of the 10,000 galaxies. We fit models of the velocity field, including comparisons to the field predicted from the redshift-survey density field, to derive the values of the redshift-space distortion parameter β, the bulk flow and the residual bulk flow in excess of that predicted from the density field. We compare these results to those derived by other authors and discuss the cosmological implications.

The Carnegie Hubble Program (CHP) is a Warm Spitzer program with the aim of reducing the uncertainty in the Hubble constant to below 3%. The program is calibrated using Galactic Cepheids with precise parallax distances from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), combined with a large sample of Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We extend the Cepheid distance scale to the Local Group and beyond, into the regime probed by the Tully–Fisher relation. The entire program—from Galactic Cepheids to the most distant galaxies—uses the Spitzer/IRAC instrument. Completing the entire program with a single instrument on a single telescope virtually eliminates instrumental effects, whilst moving to the mid-infrared drastically reduces the reddening and metallicity effects that trouble the optical Cepheid distance scale. Our first measurement of the Hubble constant, using only two CHP galaxies tied into the HST Key Project results has produced a measurement of H0 = 74.3 ± 2.1 (systematic) km s−1 Mpc−1, which corresponds to a systematic uncertainty of 2.8%.

We present a project that aims to provide a complete theoretical and observational framework for an as yet unexplored class of variable stars, the ultralong-period Cepheids (P longer than 80–100 days). Given their very high luminosities (MV up to −7 mag), with the Hubble Space Telescope we will be able to observe them easily in stellar systems located at large distances (~ 100 Mpc). This limit will be further increased, out to the Hubble flow (~ 350 Mpc), using future ground-based facilities such as the European Extremely Large Telescope. The nature of their pulsation is as yet unclear, as is their evolutionary status, which seems different from the central helium-burning phase generally associated with classical Cepheids. These objects have been found to cover a very large metallicity range, from [Fe/H] ~ −2 dex to solar values, and they are located in heterogeneous stellar systems, from dwarf to spiral galaxies. Once completely characterized, they could provide a crucial test, since they have been found in all Type Ia supernova host spiral galaxies that have been monitored for variability over long periods and that currently offer sound constraints on the estimated value of the Hubble constant.

The luminosity function of planetary nebula populations in galaxies at distances within 10–15 Mpc exhibits a cut-off at bright magnitudes and a functional form that is observed to be invariant among different galactic morphological types. Therefore, it is used as a secondary distance indicator applicable to both early- and late-type galaxies. Recent deep surveys of planetary nebula populations in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) seem to indicate that their luminosity functions deviate from those observed in the nearby galaxies. We discuss the evidence for such deviations in the Virgo Cluster, and indicate which physical mechanisms may alter the evolution of a planetary nebula envelope and its central star in the halo of BCGs. We then discuss preliminary results for distances to the Virgo, Hydra i, and Coma Clusters based on the observed planetary nebulae luminosity functions.

Photometric redshifts, i.e. redshifts derived by comparing an observed spectral-energy distribution (SED) to a range of empirical or theoretical SED templates, are commonly used in studies of the high-redshift Universe. Often, the next step is to use these redshifts as fixed input parameters for SED fitting to derive physical properties for each galaxy. However, this two-step approach ignores degeneracies between redshift and, e.g., stellar mass. Here I present first results using an improved approach that integrates both methods. I find that mass determinations are, on average, three times more uncertain than they seem from the common two-step approach. If not accounted for, these underestimated uncertainties can impact our ability of making meaningful comparisons between observations and simulations of galaxy evolution.

The physical background of scaling laws of disk galaxies is reviewed. The match between analytically derived and observed scaling laws is briefly discussed. Accurate modeling of the fraction of baryons that end up populating a disk, and the conversion efficiency of those into stars, remains a challenging task for numerical simulations. The measurement of rotational velocity tends to be made with criteria of convenience rather than through rigorous definition. And yet, the Tully–Fisher and the disk size versus rotational velocity relations exhibit surprisingly small scatter. Practical recipes (and costs) to optimize the quality of template relations are considered.

High spatial-resolution measurements of surface brightness fluctuations (SBFs) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) provide the most precise distances available to early-type galaxies beyond the Local Group. The observable SBF magnitude in a given bandpass is a basic property of any stellar system, corresponding to a ratio of the first and second moments of the stellar luminosity function. Calibration of the method has presented challenges, but we now have an excellent empirical determination of how the SBF observable varies with galaxy color in broad bandpasses at the red end of the optical spectrum, and we are working towards a similar calibration for HST's Wide-Field Camera 3 in the near-infrared wavelength range, where the SBF magnitudes are considerably brighter. From HST Advanced Camera for Surveys data, we have determined the relative distances of the Virgo and Fornax clusters to within a precision of 2%, and resolved their internal structures. More recent measurements allow us to tie the Coma cluster, the standard of comparison for distant cluster studies, to the same precise distance scale. The SBF method can be calibrated in an absolute sense either empirically using Cepheids or theoretically based on stellar population models. The agreement between model and empirical zero points provides an independent confirmation of the Cepheid distance scale.

The 2mass Tully–Fisher Survey (2mtf) aims to measure Tully–Fisher (TF) distances for all bright, inclined spirals in the 2mass Redshift Survey (2mrs) using high-quality Hi widths and 2mass photometry. Compared with previous peculiar-velocity surveys, the 2mtf survey provides more accurate width measurements and more uniform sky coverage, combining observations with the Green Bank, Arecibo, and Parkes telescopes. With this new redshift-independent distance database, we will significantly improve our understanding of the mass distribution in the local Universe.

Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) at low redshift provide a precise and largely model-independent way to measure the Hubble constant, H0. The 6dF Galaxy Survey measurement of the BAO scale gives a value of H0 = 67 ± 3.2 km s−1 Mpc−1, achieving a 1σ precision of 5%. With improved analysis techniques, the planned wallaby (Hi) and taipan (optical) redshift surveys are predicted to measure H0 to 1–3% precision.

A visualization of 3D structures and cosmic flows is presented using information from the Extragalactic Distance Database V8k redshift catalog and peculiar velocities from the Cosmicflows-1 survey. Structures within a volume bounded at 8000 km s−1 on the cardinal Supergalactic axes are explored in terms of both displaying the positions of the 30,124 galaxies of the catalog and its reconstructed luminosity density field, corrected to account for growing incompleteness with increasing distance. Cosmography of the local Universe is discussed with the intent to identify the most prominent structures, including voids, galaxy clusters, filaments, and walls. The mapping also benefits from precise distance measures provided through the Cosmicflows-1 observational program. Three-dimensional visualizations of the coherent flows of galaxies in the nearby Universe are presented, using recent results based on reconstruction of cosmic flows with the Wiener filter approach. The three major components of the Milky Way's motion, namely expulsion from the Local Void, infall toward the Virgo Cluster, and the bulk flow of the historic Local Supercluster toward the Great Attractor are illustrated using different visualization techniques and analyzed in light of the cosmography derived from the V8k redshift and Cosmicflows-1 distance catalogs.

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are among cosmology's most useful tools for measuring extragalactic distances. Their intrinsic brightness, MV=−19.2 mag, and precision, σ=0.12 mag, make for a unique combination to precisely probe cosmic expansion from the nearby to the high-redshift Universe. I describe the current state of the art for measuring distances to SNe Ia—focusing on the current challenges which ultimately limit their precision—as well as prospects for further refinement. I also highlight cosmological applications where they have been especially valuable, and briefly review some future projects which plan to exploit SNe Ia.