We have determined the distance to a second eclipsing binary system ( EB ) in the Large Magellanic Cloud , HV 982 ( \sim B1 IV-V + \sim B1 IV-V ) .
The measurement of the distance — among other properties of the system — is based on optical photometry and spectroscopy and space-based UV/optical spectrophotometry .
The analysis combines the “ classical ” EB study of light and radial velocity curves , which yields the stellar masses and radii , with a new analysis of the observed energy distribution , which yields the effective temperature , metallicity , and reddening of the system plus the distance “ attenuation factor ” , essentially ( { radius / distance } ) ^ { 2 } .
Combining the results gives the distance to HV 982 , which is 50.2 \pm 1.2 kpc .

This distance determination consists of a detailed study of well-understood objects ( B stars ) in a well-understood evolutionary phase ( core H burning ) .
The results are entirely consistent with — but do not depend on — stellar evolution calculations .
There are no “ zeropoint ” uncertainties as , for example , with the use of Cepheid variables .
Neither is the result subject to sampling biases , as may affect techniques which utilize whole stellar populations , such as red giant branch stars .
Moreover , the analysis is insensitive to stellar metallicity ( although the metallicity of the stars is explicitly determined ) and the effects of interstellar extinction are determined for each object studied .

After correcting for the location of HV 982 , we find an implied distance to the optical center of the LMC ’ s bar of d _ { LMC } = 50.7 \pm 1.2 kpc .
This result differs by nearly 5 kpc from our earlier result for the EB HV 2274 , which implies a bar distance of 45.9 kpc .
These results may reflect either marginally compatible measures of a unique LMC distance or , alternatively , suggest a significant depth to the stellar distribution in the LMC .
Some evidence for this latter hypothesis is discussed .