alt label |
|
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
dcterms modified | ||||||||
broader |
|
|||||||
definition | A member of a class of pulsating stars with a period of 1 to 35 days located in the instability strip of the H-R diagram. Also known as type II Cepheid variables, W Virginis stars are typically 1.5 mag fainter than classical Type I Cepheids and have a mass less than that of the Sun. They also exhibit a period-luminosity relation which is distinct, but works in a similar way to the relation for Type I Cepheids. Hence W Virginis stars can also be used to measure Galactic and extragalactic distances. | |||||||
type |
|
|||||||
contributor | AAS_Frey.Katie_Admin original |