Our photometric results for all measured stars are presented in Fig. 3 (click here)
as a color-magnitude diagram. It covers the magnitude range from the
RGB tip (
, 
) to the photometric limit,
by approximately 
below the turnoff. The position of the
turnoff point in our diagram is 
and
(internal accuracy). This turnoff level is
somewhat fainter than indicated in the earlier studies (
in Alcaíno et al. 1994).
Figure 3: The V-(B-V) diagram of the globular cluster M 79 from
CCD photometry of 2451 stars
We discuss the HB in more detail in one of the subsequent sections.
Its level is found to be 
, somewhat fainter
(by 
) than in Ferraro et al. (1992). Thus, we find 
, close to the average value for Milky Way
globular clusters (cf. Buonanno et al. 1989).
Comparing the positions of sequences in our CMD and in the CMD by
Ferraro et al., we notice some differences, especially concerning
extreme colors. Thus, the RGB tip is bluer by , and the HB at
the level V=18.0 is redder by 
in our CMD. Nevertheless, the
general similarity of the two diagrams is apparent, taking into
account the somewhat poorer sample in the present study. Both diagrams
show a clear asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in the magnitude range
to 
, an extended blue HB, and a number of stars above
and below the HB. Several stars are situated in the instability strip,
some of them may be variables. There is no noticeable contribution of
the possible blue straggler population. The presence of field stars is
most apparent to the red of the subgiant and red giant branches; their
contribution is not large, as one can see from the analysis in
Ferraro
et al. (1992).