PN LF distances using VLT-MUSE. II. Archival data

Here we analyze the VLT/MUSE data for 20 galaxies from the ESO public archive to identify the systems' planetary nebulae (PNe) and determine their PNLF distances. Three of the galaxies do not contain enough PNe for a robust measure of the PNLF, and the results for one other system are compromised of the galaxy's internal extinction.

However, we obtain robust PNLF distances for the remaining 16 galaxies, two of which are isolated and beyond 30Mpc in a relatively unperturbed Hubble flow. From these data, we derive a Hubble constant of 74.2+/-7.2(stat)+/-3.7(sys)km/s/Mpc, a value that is very similar to that found from other quality indicators (e.g., Cepheids, the tip of the red giant branch, and surface brightness fluctuations). At present, the uncertainty is dominated by the small number of suitable galaxies in the ESO archive and their less-than-ideal observing conditions and calibrations.