Nearby M33 Research Articles

TOI-1696: A Nearby M4 Dwarf with a 3 R ⊕ Planet in the Neptunian Desert

We present the discovery and validation of a temperate sub-Neptune around the nearby mid-M dwarf TIC 470381900 (TOI-1696), with a radius of 3.09 ± 0.11 R ⊕ and an orbital period of 2.5 days, using a combination of Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite (TESS) and follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes. Joint analysis of multiband photometry from TESS, Multicolor Simultaneous Camera for studying Atmospheres of Transiting exoplanets (MuSCAT), MuSCAT3, Sinistro, and KeplerCam confirmed the transit signal to be achromatic as well as refined the orbital ephemeris. High-resolution imaging with Gemini/’Alopeke and high-resolution spectroscopy with the Subaru InfraRed Doppler (IRD) confirmed that there are no stellar companions or background sources to the star. The spectroscopic observations with IRD and Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX were used to determine the stellar parameters, and it was found that the host star is an M4 dwarf with an effective temperature of T eff = 3185 ± 76 K and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.336 ± 0.060 dex. The radial velocities measured from IRD set a 2σ upper limit on the planetary mass to be 48.8 M ⊕. The large radius ratio (R p/R ⋆ ∼ 0.1) and the relatively bright near-infrared magnitude (J = 12.2 mag) make this planet an attractive target for further follow-up observations. TOI-1696 b is one of the planets belonging to the Neptunian desert with the highest transmission spectroscopy metric discovered to date, making it an interesting candidate for atmospheric characterizations with JWST.

TOI-1634 b: An Ultra-short-period Keystone Planet Sitting inside the M-dwarf Radius Valley

Abstract Studies of close-in planets orbiting M dwarfs have suggested that the M-dwarf radius valley may be well explained by distinct formation timescales between enveloped terrestrials and rocky planets that form at late times in a gas-depleted environment. This scenario is at odds with the picture that close-in rocky planets form with a primordial gaseous envelope that is subsequently stripped away by some thermally driven mass-loss process. These two physical scenarios make unique predictions of the rocky/enveloped transition’s dependence on orbital separation such that studying the compositions of planets within the M-dwarf radius valley may be able to establish the dominant physics. Here, we present the discovery of one such keystone planet: the ultra-short-period planet TOI-1634 b (P = 0.989 days, F = 121 F ⊕ , r p = 1.790 − 0.081 + 0.080 R ⊕) orbiting a nearby M2 dwarf (K s = 8.7, R s = 0.450 R ⊙, M s = 0.502 M ⊙) and whose size and orbital period sit within the M-dwarf radius valley. We confirm the TESS-discovered planet candidate using extensive ground-based follow-up campaigns, including a set of 32 precise radial velocity measurements from HARPS-N. We measure a planetary mass of 4.91 − 0.70 + 0.68 M ⊕, which makes TOI-1634 b inconsistent with an Earth-like composition at 5.9 σ and thus requires either an extended gaseous envelope, a large volatile-rich layer, or a rocky composition that is not dominated by iron and silicates to explain its mass and radius. The discovery that the bulk composition of TOI-1634 b is inconsistent with that of Earth supports the gas-depleted formation mechanism to explain the emergence of the radius valley around M dwarfs with M s ≲ 0.5 M ⊙.

A Mini-Neptune and a Radius Valley Planet Orbiting the Nearby M2 Dwarf TOI-1266 in Its Venus Zone: Validation with the Habitable-zone Planet Finder

Abstract We report on the validation of two planets orbiting the nearby (36 pc) M2 dwarf TOI-1266 observed by the TESS mission. This system is one of a few M dwarf multiplanet systems with close-in planets where the inner planet is substantially larger than the outer planet. The inner planet is sub-Neptune-sized (R = 2.46 ± 0.08 R ⊕) with an orbital period of 10.9 days, while the outer planet has a radius of R ⊕ and resides in the exoplanet radius valley—the transition region between rocky and gaseous planets. With an orbital period of 18.8 days, the outer planet receives an insolation flux of 2.4 times that of Earth, similar to the insolation of Venus. Using precision near-infrared radial velocities with the Habitable-zone Planet Finder Spectrograph, we place upper mass limits of 15.9 and 6.4 M ⊕ at 95% confidence for the inner and outer planet, respectively. A more precise mass constraint of both planets, achievable with current radial velocity instruments given the host star brightness (V = 12.9, J = 9.7), will yield further insights into the dominant processes sculpting the exoplanet radius valley.

GJ 357: a low-mass planetary system uncovered by precision radial velocities and dynamical simulations

ABSTRACT We report the detection of a new planetary system orbiting the nearby M2.5V star GJ 357, using precision radial velocities from three separate echelle spectrographs, High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph (HiRES), and Ultraviolet and Visible Echelle Spectrograph (UVES). Three small planets have been confirmed in the system, with periods of 9.125 ± 0.001, 3.9306 ± 0.0003, and 55.70 ± 0.05 d, and minimum masses of 3.33 ± 0.48, 2.09 ± 0.32, and 6.72 ± 0.94 M⊕, respectively. The second planet in our system, GJ 357 c, was recently shown to transit by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), but we could find no transit signatures for the other two planets. Dynamical analysis reveals the system is likely to be close to coplanar, is stable on Myr time-scales, and places strong upper limits on the masses of the two non-transiting planets GJ 357 b and GJ 357 d of 4.25 and 11.20 M⊕, respectively. Therefore, we confirm the system contains at least two super-Earths, and either a third super-Earth or mini-Neptune planet. GJ 357 b and GJ 357 c are found to be close to a 7:3 mean motion resonance, however no libration of the orbital parameters was found in our simulations. Analysis of the photometric light curve of the star from the TESS, when combined with our radial velocities, reveals GJ 357 c has an absolute mass, radius, and density of $2.248^{+0.117}_{-0.120}$ M⊕, $1.167^{+0.037}_{-0.036}$ R⊕, and $7.757^{+0.889}_{-0.789}$ g cm−3, respectively. Comparison to super-Earth structure models reveals the planet is likely an iron-dominated world. The GJ 357 system adds to the small sample of low-mass planetary systems with well constrained masses, and further observational and dynamical follow-up is warranted to better understand the overall population of small multiplanet systems in the solar neighbourhood.

The Habitability of GJ 357D: Possible Climate and Observability

Abstract The GJ 357 system harbors three planets orbiting a bright, nearby M2.5V star at 9.44 pc. The innermost planet, GJ 357b (TOI-562.01), is a hot transiting Earth-sized planet with Earth-like density, which receives about 12 times the irradiation Earth receives from the Sun, and was detected using data from TESS. Radial velocities discovered two more planets in the system at 9.12 (GJ 357 c) and 55.6 days (GJ 357 d), with minimum masses of 3.59 ± 0.50 and 6.1 ± 1 Earth masses, and an irradiation of 4.4 and 0.38 Earth’s irradiation, respectively. GJ 357 d receives slightly less stellar irradiation than Mars does in our own solar system, which puts it in the Habitable Zone (HZ) for its host star. GJ 357 d could not have been detected with TESS and whether it transits remains an open question. Here we model possible conditions within which GJ357 d could sustain surface habitability and present planetary models as well as synthetic transmission, reflection, and emission spectra for a range of models for GJ 357 d from water worlds to Earth-like models. With Earth-analog outgassing rates, GJ 357 d would be a frozen rocky world; however, with an increased CO2 level, as would be expected if a geological cycles regulates CO2 concentration like on Earth, the planet models show temperate surface conditions. If we can detect a transit of GJ 357 d, it would become the closest transiting, potentially habitable planet in the solar neighborhood. Even if GJ 357 d does not transit, the brightness of its star makes this planet, in the HZ of a close-by M star, a prime target for observations with Extremely Large telescopes as well as future space missions.

Planetary system around the nearby M dwarf GJ 357 including a transiting, hot, Earth-sized planet optimal for atmospheric characterization

We report the detection of a transiting Earth-size planet around GJ 357, a nearby M2.5 V star, using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). GJ 357 b (TOI-562.01) is a transiting, hot, Earth-sized planet (Teq = 525 ± 11 K) with a radius of Rb = 1.217 ± 0.084 R⊕ and an orbital period of Pb = 3.93 d. Precise stellar radial velocities from CARMENES and PFS, as well as archival data from HIRES, UVES, and HARPS also display a 3.93-day periodicity, confirming the planetary nature and leading to a planetary mass of Mb = 1.84 ± 0.31 M⊕. In addition to the radial velocity signal for GJ 357 b, more periodicities are present in the data indicating the presence of two further planets in the system: GJ 357 c, with a minimum mass of Mc = 3.40 ± 0.46 M⊕ in a 9.12 d orbit, and GJ 357 d, with a minimum mass of Md = 6.1 ± 1.0 M⊕ in a 55.7 d orbit inside the habitable zone. The host is relatively inactive and exhibits a photometric rotation period of Prot = 78 ± 2 d. GJ 357 b isto date the second closest transiting planet to the Sun, making it a prime target for further investigations such as transmission spectroscopy. Therefore, GJ 357 b represents one of the best terrestrial planets suitable for atmospheric characterization with the upcoming JWST and ground-based ELTs.

Ongoing astrometric microlensing events from VVV and Gaia

ABSTRACT We extend predictive microlensing event searches using the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea survey and the second Gaia data release. We identify two events with maxima in 2019 that require urgent follow-up. First, we predict that the nearby M2 dwarf L 338-152 will align with a background source with a closest approach of $35^{+35}_{-23}$ mas on 2019 November $16^{+28}_{-27}$ d. This will cause a peak astrometric shift and photometric amplification of the background source of $2.7^{+3.5}_{-1.5}$ mas and $5.6^{+143.2}_{-5.2}$ mmag, respectively. This event should be astrometrically detectable by both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument on the Very Large Telescope. Secondly, we predict that the likely K dwarf NLTT 45128 will lens a background source with a closest approach of $105.3^{+12.2}_{-11.7}$ mas on 2019 September $26^{+15}_{-15}$ d. This will produce a peak astrometric shift of $0.329^{+0.065}_{-0.059}$ mas. NLTT 45128 is only 3.6 mag brighter than the background source which makes it an excellent candidate for follow-up with HST. Characterization of these signals will allow direct gravitational masses to be inferred for both L 338-152 and NLTT 45128 with an estimated precision of ∼9 and ∼13 per cent, respectively.

The CARMENES Search for Exoplanets around M Dwarfs: A Low-mass Planet in the Temperate Zone of the Nearby K2-18

Abstract K2-18 is a nearby M2.5 dwarf, located at 34 pc and hosting a transiting planet that was first discovered by the K2 mission and later confirmed with Spitzer Space Telescope observations. With a radius of ∼2 R ⊕ and an orbital period of ∼33 days, the planet lies in the temperate zone of its host star and receives stellar irradiation similar to that of Earth. Here we perform radial velocity follow-up observations with the visual channel of CARMENES with the goal of determining the mass and density of the planet. We measure a planetary semi-amplitude of K b ∼ 3.5 and a mass of M b ∼ 9 M ⊕, yielding a bulk density around . This indicates a low-mass planet with a composition consistent with a solid core and a volatile-rich envelope. A signal at 9 days was recently reported using radial velocity measurements taken with the HARPS spectrograph. This was interpreted as being due to a second planet. We see a weaker, time- and wavelength-dependent signal in the CARMENES data set and thus favor stellar activity for its origin. K2-18 b joins the growing group of low-mass planets detected in the temperate zone of M dwarfs. The brightness of the host star in the near-infrared makes the system a good target for detailed atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope.

SPITZER OBSERVATIONS CONFIRM AND RESCUE THE HABITABLE-ZONE SUPER-EARTH K2-18b FOR FUTURE CHARACTERIZATION

ABSTRACT The recent detections of two transit events attributed to the super-Earth candidate K2-18b have provided the unprecedented prospect of spectroscopically studying a habitable-zone planet outside the solar system. Orbiting a nearby M2.5 dwarf and receiving virtually the same stellar insolation as Earth, K2-18b would be a prime candidate for the first detailed atmospheric characterization of a habitable-zone exoplanet using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Here, we report the detection of a third transit of K2-18b near the predicted transit time using the Spitzer Space Telescope. The Spitzer detection demonstrates the periodic nature of the two transit events discovered by K2, confirming that K2-18 is indeed orbited by a super-Earth in a 33 day orbit, ruling out the alternative scenario of two similarly sized, long-period planets transiting only once within the 75 day Kepler Space Telescope (K2) observation. We also find, however, that the transit event detected by Spitzer occurred 1.85 hr ( 7 σ ) before the predicted transit time. Our joint analysis of the Spitzer and K2 photometry reveals that this early occurrence of the transit is not caused by transit timing variations, but the result of an inaccurate ephemeris due to a previously undetected data anomaly in the K2 photometry. We refit the ephemeris and find that K2-18b would have been lost for future atmospheric characterizations with HST and JWST if we had not secured its ephemeris shortly after the discovery. We caution that immediate follow-up observations as presented here will also be critical for confirming and securing future planets discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), in particular if only two transit events are covered by the relatively short 27-day TESS campaigns.

Quantification of air quality impacts of London Heathrow Airport (UK) from 2005 to 2012

Among other emission sources in the Greater London area, the international airport of Heathrow is recognised to be a major source of air pollution and is one of the UK locations where European air quality Limit Values are currently breached. However it is very difficult to differentiate between pollutants arising from airport operations and those from the large volumes of road traffic generated by the airport, as well as the nearby M4 and M25 motorways, A4 and A30 major roads, the conurbation of London and other external sources. In this study, eight years (January 2005–December 2012) of measurements of various air pollutants (NO, NO2, NOx, O3, CO, PM10 and PM2.5) were investigated from 10 sites: eight sites are located within a distance of 2.5 km from the airport, while two sites representative of the regional background and of background air quality in London (Harwell (60 km WNW) and North Kensington (17 km ENE), respectively) were included. A series of statistical tools was thus applied to: (1) investigate the time series by analysing hourly data as diurnal, weekly, seasonal and annual patterns; (2) reveal the effects of the atmospheric circulation upon air pollution by analysing background-corrected polar plots and (3) quantify the impact of the airport upon air quality in the local area using the inter-site differences of measured concentrations. The results show different diurnal patterns in emissions of NOx from the airport and from the motorways. The concentration increment arising from passage of air across the airport during airport activity (6 am–10 pm) and with wind speed > 3 m s−1 is ca. 1–9 μg m−3 of NO2 and 2–20 μg m−3 of NOx at background stations. Such results are slightly lower than in a previous study analysing the 2001–2004 period. Air quality impacts of the M25 and M4 motorways are substantial only at the Hillingdon site (30 m from M4). Concentration increments of particulate matter can take either small positive or negative values.

Limits on compact baryonic dark matter from gravitational microlensing

Microlensing started with the seminal paper by Paczyński in 1986 [], followed in 1993 by the first discovery of events towards the Large Magellanic Cloud and the galactic bulge. Since then many microlensing events have been observed also towards other targets such as globular clusters, the Andromeda Galaxy. Many new applications have been found: in particular, it turned out to be a powerful method to detect planets in our galaxy and even in the nearby M31. Here, we will present some results obtained so far by microlensing without, however, being exhaustive and based on more personal views and biases.

Search for a habitable terrestrial planet transiting the nearby red dwarf GJ 1214

High-precision eclipse spectrophotometry of transiting terrestrial exoplanets represents a promising path for the first atmospheric characterizations of habitable worlds and the search for life outside our solar system. The detection of terrestrial planets transiting nearby late-type M-dwarfs could make this approach applicable within the next decade, with soon-to-come general facilities. In this context, we previously identified GJ 1214 as a high-priority target for a transit search, as the transit probability of a habitable planet orbiting this nearby M4.5 dwarf would be significantly enhanced by the transiting nature of GJ 1214 b, the super-Earth already known to orbit the star. Based on this observation, we have set up an ambitious high-precision photometric monitoring of GJ 1214 with the Spitzer Space Telescope to probe the inner part of its habitable zone in search of a transiting planet as small as Mars. We present here the results of this transit search. Unfortunately, we did not detect any other transiting planets. Assuming that GJ 1214 hosts a habitable planet larger than Mars that has an orbital period smaller than 20.9 days, our global analysis of the whole Spitzer dataset leads to an a posteriori no-transit probability of ~ 98%. Our analysis allows us to significantly improve the characterization of GJ 1214 b, to measure its occultation depth to be 70+-35 ppm at 4.5 microns, and to constrain it to be smaller than 205ppm (3-sigma upper limit) at 3.6 microns. In agreement with the many transmission measurements published so far for GJ 1214 b, these emission measurements are consistent with both a metal-rich and a cloudy hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Limits on compact halo objects as dark matter from gravitational microlensing

Microlensing started with the seminal paper by Paczy\'nski in 1986, first with observations towards the Large Magellanic Cloud and the galactic bulge. Since then many other targets have been observed and new applications have been found. In particular, it turned out to be a powerful method to detect planets in our galaxy and even in the nearby M31. Here, we will present some results obtained so far by microlensing without being, however, exhaustive.

Evolution of the star formation efficiency in galaxies

AbstractThe physical and chemical evolution of galaxies is intimately linked to star formation, We present evidence that molecular gas (H2) is transformed into stars more quickly in smaller and/or subsolar metallicity galaxies than in large spirals – which we consider to be equivalent to a star formation efficiency (SFE). In particular, we show that this is not due to uncertainties in the N(H2)/Ico conversion factor. Several possible reasons for the high SFE in galaxies like the nearby M33 or NGC 6822 are proposed which, separately or together, are the likely cause of the high SFE in this environment. We then try to estimate how much this could contribute to the increase in cosmic star formation rate density from z = 0 to z = 1.

THE MID-LIFE CRISIS OF THE MILKY WAY AND M31

Upcoming next generation galactic surveys, such as GAIA and HERMES, will deliver unprecedented detail about the structure and make-up of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, and promise to radically improve our understanding of it. However, to benefit our broader knowledge of galaxy formation and evolution we first need to quantify how typical the Galaxy is with respect to other galaxies of its type. Through modeling and comparison with a large sample of galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Galaxy Zoo, we provide tentative yet tantalizing evidence to show that both the Milky Way and nearby M31 are undergoing a critical transformation of their global properties. Both appear to possess attributes that are consistent with galaxies midway between the distinct blue and red bimodal color populations. In extragalactic surveys, such `green valley' galaxies are transition objects whose star formation typically will have all but extinguished in less than ~5 Gyrs. This finding reveals the possible future of our own galactic home, and opens a new window of opportunity to study such galactic transformations up close.

Discovery of a Wide Substellar Companion to a Nearby Low‐Mass Star

We report the discovery of a wide (135 ± 25 AU), unusually blue L5 companion, 2MASS J17114559+4028578, to the nearby M4.5 dwarf G203-50 as a result of a targeted search for common proper motion pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Adaptive optics imaging with Subaru indicates that neither component is a nearly equal-mass binary with separation >0.18'' and places limits on the existence of additional faint companions. An examination of TiO and CaH features in the primary's spectrum is consistent with solar metallicity and provides no evidence that G203-50 is metal-poor. We estimate an age for the primary of 1-5 Gyr based on activity. Assuming coevality of the companion, its age, gravity, and metallicity can be constrained from properties of the primary, making it a suitable benchmark object for the calibration of evolutionary models and for determining the atmospheric properties of peculiar blue L dwarfs. The low total mass (Mtot = 0.21 ± 0.03 M☉), intermediate mass ratio (q = 0.45 ± 0.14), and wide separation of this system demonstrate that the star formation process is capable of forming wide, weakly bound binary systems with low-mass and brown dwarf components. Based on the sensitivity of our search we find that no more than 2.2% of the early-to-mid-M dwarfs (9.0 < MV < 13.0) have wide substellar companions with m≳ 0.06 M☉.

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets

A 10.24-day Neptune-mass planet was recently announced as orbiting the nearby M2 dwarf Gl 176, based on 28 radial velocities measured with the HRS spectrograph on the Hobby-Heberly Telescope. We obtained 57 radial velocities of Gl 176 with the ESO 3.6 m telescope and the HARPS spectrograph, which is known for its sub-m s −1 stability. The median photon-noise standard error of our measurements is 1.1 m s −1 , significantly lower than the 4.7 m s −1 of the HET velocities, and the 4-year period over which they were obtained overlaps considerably with the epochs of the HET measurements. The HARPS measurements show no evidence of a signal at the period of the putative HET planet, suggesting that its detection was spurious. We do find, on the other hand, strong evidence of a lower mass 8.4 MEarth planet, in a quasi-circular orbit and at the different period of 8.78 days. The host star has moderate magnetic activity and rotates on a 39-day period, which we confirm through modulation of both contemporaneous photometry and chromospheric indices. We detect that period, as well, in the radial velocities, but it is well removed from the orbital period and offers no cause for confusion. This new detection of a super-Earth (2 MEarth < M sin (i) < 10 MEarth) around an M dwarf adds to the growing evidence that such planets are common around very low-mass stars. A third of the 20 known planets with M sin (i) < 0.1 MJup and 3 of the 7 known planets with M sin (i) < 10 MEarth orbit an M dwarf, in contrast to just 4 of the ∼300 known Jupiter-mass planets.

GRB 070201: A Possible Soft Gamma‐Ray Repeater in M31

The gamma-ray burst (GRB) 070201 was a bright short-duration hard-spectrum GRB detected by the Inter-Planetary Network (IPN). Its error quadrilateral, which has an area of 0.124 sq. deg, intersects some prominent spiral arms of the nearby M31 (Andromeda) galaxy. Given the properties of this GRB, along with the fact that LIGO data argues against a compact binary merger origin in M31, this GRB is an excellent candidate for an extragalactic Soft Gamma-ray Repeater (SGR) giant flare, with energy of 1.4x10^45 erg. Analysis of ROTSE-IIIb visible light observations of M31, taken 10.6 hours after the burst and covering 42% of the GRB error region, did not reveal any optical transient down to a limiting magnitude of 17.1. We inspected archival and proprietary XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the intersection of the GRB error quadrilateral and M31, obtained about four weeks prior to the outburst, in order to look for periodic variable X-ray sources. No SGR or Anomalous X-ray Pulsar (AXP) candidates (periods in range 1 to 20 s) were detected. We discuss the possibility of detecting extragalactic SGRs/AXPs by identifying their periodic X-ray light curves. Our simulations suggest that the probability of detecting the periodic X-ray signal of one of the known Galactic SGRs/AXPs, if placed in M31, is about 10% (50%), using 50 ks (2 Ms) XMM-Newton exposures.

Astrometric Orbits for Hipparcos Stochastic Binaries

Taking advantage of an improved genetic optimization algorithm for fitting unconstrained Kepler orbits to the Hipparcos intermediate astrometric data, we obtain additional orbital solutions for 81 Hipparcos stars with previous stochastic (failed) solutions. The sample includes astrophysically interesting objects, including the old disk wide binary HIP 754, the nearby AGB star HIP 34922 (L2 Pup), and the nearby M2 dwarf HIP 5496 (GJ 54, at 8 pc from the Sun) which has a resolved M dwarf companion.

Local Group Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies. I. Mapping the Dynamics of NGC 205 Beyond the Tidal Radius

NGC 205 is the nearest example of a dwarf elliptical galaxy and the prototype of this enigmatic galaxy class. Photometric evidence suggests that NGC 205, a close satellite of the M31 galaxy, is tidally interacting with its parent galaxy. We present stellar radial velocity measurements out to a projected radius of 20' (5 kpc) in NGC 205 based on Keck DEIMOS multislit spectroscopic observations of 725 individual red giant branch stars. Our kinematic measurements extend from the center out to 6 times the effective radius of NGC 205, well past the expected tidal radius. The contamination in our kinematic sample from M31 field stars is estimated to be a few percent based on maximum likelihood fits to the distribution of stars in position-velocity space. We measure a maximum major-axis rotation speed for the body of NGC 205 of 11 ± 5 km s-1 and note that this is based on observing a definite turnover in the rotation curve; this is the first dE galaxy in which the maximum rotation velocity has been measured. Combined with the velocity dispersion, we conclude that NGC 205 is supported by a combination of rotation and anisotropic velocity dispersion. At a major-axis distance of 45 (1 kpc), the velocity profile of NGC 205 turns over; stars beyond this radius are moving counter to the rotation of the inner part of the galaxy. The turnover radius is coincident with the onset of isophotal twisting and the estimated tidal radius, suggesting that the outer kinematics of NGC 205 is dominated by gravitational interactions with the nearby M31 galaxy. The motion of stars beyond a radius of ~45 implies that NGC 205 is in a prograde encounter with its parent galaxy, M31.