Artist’s interpretation of the cosmic distance ladder (IMAGE)
Caption
Artist’s interpretation of the cosmic distance ladder — a succession of overlapping methods used to measure distances across the Universe, where each rung of the ladder provides information that can be used to determine the distances at the next higher rung. Methods include observations of pulsating Cepheid variable stars, red giant stars that shine with a known brightness, Type Ia supernovae, and certain types of galaxies.
In this illustration, the distance ladder begins at the Coma Cluster, which is the nearest extremely rich galaxy cluster to us. The distance to the Coma Cluster can be measured directly using observations of Type Ia supernovae within the cluster. Type Ia supernovae have a predictable luminosity that makes them reliable objects for distance calculations.
Credit
CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA/J. Pollard Image Processing: D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
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Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY