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Description
We present the first time-series study of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Hercules. Using a variety of telescope/instrument facilities we secured about 50 V and 80 B epochs. These data allowed us to detect and characterize 10 pulsating variable stars in Hercules. Our final sample includes six fundamental-mode (ab-type) and three first-overtone (c-type) RR Lyrae stars, and one Anomalous Cepheid. The average period of the ab-type RR Lyrae stars, <P_ab_>=0.68days ({sigma}=0.03days), places Hercules in the Oosterhoff II group, as found for almost the totality of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies investigated so far for variability. The RR Lyrae stars were used to obtain independent estimates of the metallicity, reddening, and distance to Hercules, for which we find [Fe/H]=-2.30+/-0.15dex, E(B-V)=0.09+/-0.02mag, and (m-M)_0_=20.6+/-0.1mag, in good agreement with the literature values. We have obtained a V, B-V color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of Hercules that reaches V~25mag and extends beyond the galaxy's half-light radius over a total area of 40'x36'. The CMD and the RR Lyrae stars indicate the presence of a population as old and metal-poor as (at least) the Galactic globular cluster M68.
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