NIR photometry of 77 RR Lyrae stars

We have used different theoretical and empirical NIR period-luminosity-metallicity calibrations for RRL stars to derive their absolute magnitudes, and found a true, reddening-corrected distance modulus of 20.818+/-0.015(statistical)+/-0.116(systematic) mag. This value is in excellent agreement with the results obtained within the Araucaria Project from the NIR photometry of red clump stars (20.858+/-0.013 mag), the tip of the red giant branch (20.84+/-0.04+/-0.14 mag), as well as with other independent distance determinations to this galaxy.

The effect of metallicity and reddening is substantially reduced in the NIR domain, making this method a robust tool for accurate distance determination at the 5% level. This precision is expected to reach the level of 3% once the zero points of distance calibrations are refined thanks to the Gaia mission. NIR period-luminosity-metallicity relations of RRL stars are particularly useful for distance determinations to galaxies and globular clusters up to 300 kpc, that lack young standard candles, like Cepheids.