  We report the detection of Cepheids and a new distance to the spiral galaxy
NGC 2541, based on data obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on
board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). A total of 25 exposures (divided into
13 epochs) are obtained using the F555W filter (transformed to Johnson V), and
nine exposures (divided into five epochs) using the F814W filter (transformed
to Cousins I). Photometric reduction of the data is performed using two
independent packages, DoPHOT and DAOPHOT II/ALLFRAME, which give very good
agreement in the measured magnitudes. A total of 34 bona fide Cepheids, with
periods ranging from 12 to over 60 days, are identified based on both sets of
photometry. By fitting V and I period-luminosity relations, apparent distance
moduli are derived assuming a Large Magellanic Cloud distance modulus and mean
color excess of 18.50 +/- 0.10 mag and E(B-V) = 0.10 mag respectively. Adopting
A(V)/E(V-I)=2.45, we obtain a true distance modulus to NGC 2541 of 30.47 +/-
0.11 (random) +/- 0.12 (systematic) mag (D = 12.4 +/- 0.6 (random) +/- 0.7
(systematic) Mpc), and a total (Galactic plus internal) mean color excess
E(B-V) = 0.08 +/- 0.05 (internal error) mag.
