The Distance to IC 10 from Near-Infrared Observations of Cepheids

We have measured the distance to the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10 from near-infrared $JHK$ observations of Cepheids. The reddening-corrected distance modulus is $24.57\pm0.21$ mag or $0.82\pm 0.08$ Mpc. This distance lies at the short end of the range of previous estimates, and is significantly more accurate than all prior determinations. At this distance, IC 10 is comparable in total mass to the Small Magellanic Cloud, but has much more vigorous star formation.