A NEW CEPHEID DISTANCE MEASUREMENT AND METHOD FOR NGC 6822

We present a revised distance to the nearby galaxy NGC 6822 using a new multi-band fit to both previously published and new optical, near-, and mid-infrared data for Cepheid variables. The new data presented in this study include multi-epoch observations obtained in 3.6 mu m and 4.5 mu m with the Spitzer Space Telescope taken for the Carnegie Hubble Program. We also present new observations in J, H, and K-s with FourStar on the Magellan Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We determine mean magnitudes and present new period-luminosity relations in V, I, J, H, Ks, Infrared Array Camera 3.6 mu m, and 4.5 mu m. In addition to using the multi-band distance moduli to calculate extinction and a true distance, we present a new method for determining an extinction-corrected distance modulus from multi-band data with varying sample sizes. We combine the distance moduli and extinction for individual stars to determine E(B - V) = 0.35 +/- 0.04 and a true distance modulus mu(o) = 23.38 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.04(sys).