Absorption and Reddening in the Magellanic Clouds

Abstract

The frequency distribution of colour excesses of stars brighter than a given apparent magnitude in distant stellar systems is studied. The frequency distribution (Fig. 1) depends on the luminosity function and the ratio of total absorption to colour excess. It is shown that most stars observed are only slightly reddened even in systems that are optically thick. There is no contradiction with the results of the preceding paper in which nebular counts near the SMC have proved considerable quantities of dust.