HST imaging of Pisces A and B

Photometry from these images clearly resolves a red giant branch (RGB) for both objects, demonstrating that they are nearby dwarf galaxies. We describe a Bayesian inferential approach to determining the distance to these galaxies using the magnitude of the tip of the RGB (TRGB), and then apply this approach to these galaxies.

This reveals the distance to these galaxies as 5.64_-0.15_^+0.13^Mpc and 8.89_-0.85_^+0.75^Mpc for Pisces A and B, respectively, placing both within the Local Volume but not the Local Group (LG). We estimate the star formation histories of these galaxies, which suggests that they have recently undergone an increase in their star formation rates. Together these yield luminosities for Pisces A and B of M_V_=-11.57_-0.05_^+0.06^ and -12.9+/-0.2, respectively, and estimated stellar masses of log(M*/M_{sun})=7.0_-1.7_^+0.4^ and 7.5_-1.8_^+0.3^.