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Concept

Cepheid variable

A glowing, intricate geometric pattern resembling a starburst, set against a dark, starry background, symbolizes the concept of Cepheid variable stars.

A class of pulsating star whose brightness varies on a regular cycle, with the period of pulsation directly related to its intrinsic luminosity. The relation, discovered by Henrietta Swan Leavitt in 1912, turns Cepheids into standard candles: measure the period, infer the true brightness, compare to the apparent brightness, derive the distance. They are the rung of the cosmic distance ladder Hubble used to measure Andromeda.

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