What is the primary functional difference between a Cepheid variable and a Type Ia supernova as distance indicators?
Answer
A Cepheid is a repeating beacon, while a Type Ia supernova is a singular, cataclysmic event.
Cepheid stars pulsate regularly, allowing for repeated measurements over time, whereas a Type Ia supernova is a one-time explosion that yields a single, massive flash of distance information.
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How Scientists Measure The Distance To Stars and Galaxies
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