e.c. pickering first used rr lyrae variable stars to determine distances in our milky way galaxy.
e.c. pickering first used rr lyrae variable stars to determine distances in our milky way galaxy.
who first used rr lyrae variable stars to determine distances in our milky way galaxy?
e.c. pickering
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rr lyrae is a variable star in the lyra constellation, located near the border with the neighboring constellation of cygnus. as the brightest star in its class, it became the eponym for the rr lyrae variable class of stars and it has been extensively studied by astronomers. rr lyrae variables serve as important standard candles that are used to measure astronomical distances. the period of pulsation of an rr lyrae variable depends on its mass, luminosity and temperature, while the difference between the measured luminosity and the actual luminosity allows its distance to be determined via the inverse-square law. hence, understanding the period-luminosity relation for a set of local rr lyrae-type variable stars allows the distance of more distant stars of this type to be determined.
rr lyrae