Astronomy › Section M · Celestial distances › Topic M.3
Variable stars as distance markers
Parallax runs out within our own galaxy. A class of pulsating stars whose rhythm reveals their true power carried distance measurement to other galaxies, thanks to a discovery by Henrietta Swan Leavitt.
In this topic
- The standard-candle idea
- Light curves
- Pulsating stars
- Cepheid variables
- Leavitt's discovery
- Calibrating the relation
- Worked example: a Cepheid in a nearby galaxy
- Worked example: using luminosity directly
- RR Lyrae stars
- Cepheids and the galaxies
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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