Cepheid variable

or cepheid variable

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a variable star in which changes in brightness are due to alternate contractions and expansions in volume.

Cepheid variable

/ ˈsiːfɪɪd /

noun

1. astronomy any of a class of variable stars with regular cycles of variations in luminosity (most ranging from three to fifty days). There is a relationship between the periods of variation and the absolute magnitudes, which is used for measuring the distance of such stars

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cepheid variable¹

First recorded in 1900–05; Cephe(us) + -id ¹

Example Sentences

It was a Cepheid variable, a type of star beloved by astronomers because its luminosity and pulse length can be used to measure its distance from Earth.

From Los Angeles Times

A special type of star, called a Cepheid variable, had a property that allowed Hubble to measure the distance to faraway objects.

From Literature

According to Riess, whose standard-candle work uses supernovae and Cepheid variable stars instead of red giants, most local studies have produced somewhat higher values for the Hubble constant—some as high as 75, with an average around 73.

From Scientific American

The most reliable “standard candles” for measuring cosmic distances have been Cepheid variable stars, which pulse in brightness.

From Washington Post

In 1924, Edwin Hubble announced that he had found a Cepheid variable star in the Andromeda spiral nebula.

From Washington Post