How does uncertainty in the distance estimate affect judging a distant galaxy's true power output?
Answer
The inferred luminosity changes significantly because it depends on the square of the distance.
Distance measurement is foundational but subject to uncertainty derived from the cosmic distance ladder and models of universal expansion. Since intrinsic luminosity, or absolute power output, is related to apparent brightness and the *square* of the distance, any slight error in the distance calculation translates into a substantial, potentially factor-of-two or more, error in the calculated luminosity. This propagates uncertainty into judgments about the galaxy's true energy generation capabilities during that era.
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