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> Bright Cepheid RS Puppis

Bright Cepheid RS Puppis

author: Nasa/Esa/Novapix

reference: a-eto04-00050

Image Size 300 DPI: 33 * 31 cm

The bright southern hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the center of the image, is swaddled in a gossamer cocoon of reflective dust illuminated by the glittering star. The super star is ten times more massive than our Sun and 200 times larger. RS Puppis rhythmically brightens and dims over a six-week cycle. It is one of the most luminous in the class of so-called Cepheid variable stars. Its average intrinsic brightness is 15,000 times greater than our Sun's luminosity. The nebula flickers in brightness as pulses of light from the Cepheid propagate outwards. By observing the fluctuation of light in RS Puppis itself, as well as recording the faint reflections of light pulses moving across the nebula, astronomers are able to measure these light echoes and pin down a very accurate distance. The distance to RS Puppis has been narrowed down to 6,500 light-years (with a margin of error of only one percent).

Keywords for this photo:

2013 - ASTRONOMY - CEPHEID - HST - HUBBLE CONSTANT - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - PUPPIS - RS PUPPIS - STAR - UNIVERSE EXPANSION - VARIABLE STAR -