In Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp. 475-481, 2010.
astro-ph/1004.4907

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Abstract: I review what we have learned about the old stellar population of NGC 5128, the only large E galaxy close enough that we can currently observe individual stars as faint as the horizontal branch. Although its galaxy type is still a matter of debate for some, the uncertainties over distance are now largely resolved; comparison of five stellar distance indicators gives d = 3.8 ± 0.1 Mpc. The globular cluster system, which was once perplexingly invisible, is now known to be predominantly old with a substantial metal-rich component. The GCS total population and luminosity function are normal. and the clusters follow the same fundamental plane relation as those in the Milky Way and M31. Finally, the halo out to at least ~ 7r_eff is dominated by metal-rich stars which are also predominantly old, with age and metallicity tantalizingly similar to the majority of globular clusters.

Keywords: Galaxies: distances - galaxies: stellar content and star clusters - galaxies: individual (NGC 5128)

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• THE NEARBY E GALAXY
• Galaxy Type
• Distance
• THE GLOBULAR CLUSTERS
• GCS Total Population
• GCS Metallicities and Ages
• Structure of GCs


• FIELD HALO STARS
• Metallicity of Halo Stars
• Age of Halo Stars
• SUMMARY
• REFERENCES