Author: iamdefinitory

CEPHEID VARIABLES
Pulsating stars whose brightness variations help measure cosmic distances.

STANDARD CANDLE
An astronomical object with known luminosity used for distance measurement.

HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM
A chart linking a star’s brightness to its spectral type, aiding distance estimation.

BASELINE
The distance between two points used in parallax measurements.

TRIANGULATION
A method of measuring distances using angles from different observation points.

LIGHT-YEAR
The distance light travels in one year (about 9.46 trillion km).

PARSEC (PC)
A unit of distance equal to 3.26 light-years, derived from parallax.

STELLAR PARALLAX
The shift in a star’s position caused by Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

PARALLAX
The apparent shift of an object’s position due to the observer’s movement.