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How did Leavitt's discovery affect our understanding of the universe?
It made no impact
It led to a shift in understanding
It was rejected by astronomers
It led to a Nobel prize
Answer
Henrietta Leavitt's discovery led to a shift in understanding of the universe. She discovered that Cepheid variables have a period-luminosity relationship, meaning that their brightness varies in a regular pattern and that the period of the variation is directly related to the star's luminosity. This discovery allowed astronomers to determine the distance to Cepheid variables, which in turn allowed them to determine the distances to other galaxies.
The Stellar Saga: Unraveling Henrietta Swan Leavitt's Cosmic Legacy
More Questions
When did Henrietta Swan Leavitt pass away?
What was the maximum distance astronomers could measure before her discovery?
What is the maximum distance astronomers can measure as a result of Leavitt's work?
What is the diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way?
Who used Leavitt’s period-luminosity relation to establish that the universe is expanding?
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