Cepheid Variable Star in Galaxy M100
Depicts: Cepheid Variable Star
Copyright: Dr. Wendy L. Freedman, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and NASA
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The interval it takes for the Cepheid to complete one pulsation is a direct indication of the stars's intrinsic brightness. This value can be used to make a precise measurement of the galaxy's distance, which turns out to be 56 million light-years from Earth.
This image was taken on May 4, 1994.
Last Update: 1 September 2019