Abstract
The proper motion (PM) of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) relative to four background quasi-stellar objects has been determined by reading and re-processing image data from two previous studies. The total center of mass PM for the LMC obtained here is μ=(+1.94±0.08) mas yr-1, with a position angle θ = (61.5±3.2)°. The new results agree reasonably well with those obtained previously by our group and by other groups, and with several existing theoretical models. From the radial velocity of the center of the LMC found in the literature, in combination with the transverse velocity vector determined from the PM measured in the present work, we obtain the space velocity of the LMC center. Using the latter and assuming a point-mass potential for the Galaxy, we have estimated the amount of mass contained within 50 kpc of the center of the Galaxy.
