DEEP IMAGING OF ERIDANUS II AND ITS LONE STAR CLUSTER*

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present deep imaging of the most distant dwarf discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, Eridanus II (Eri II). Our Magellan/Megacam stellar photometry reaches ∼3 mag deeper than previous work and allows us to confirm the presence of a stellar cluster whose position is consistent with Eri II’s center. This makes Eri II, at M V = − 7.1 , the least luminous galaxy known to host a (possibly central) cluster. The cluster is partially resolved, and at M V = − 3.5 it accounts for ∼4% of Eri II’s luminosity. We derive updated structural parameters for Eri II, which has a half-light radius of ∼280 pc and is elongated (ϵ ∼ 0.48) at a measured distance of D ∼ 370 kpc. The color–magnitude diagram displays a blue, extended horizontal branch, as well as a less populated red horizontal branch. A central concentration of stars brighter than the old main-sequence turnoff hints at a possible intermediate-age (∼3 Gyr) population; alternatively, these sources could be blue straggler stars. A deep Green Bank Telescope observation of Eri II reveals no associated atomic gas.