standard candle

noun

1. a unit of luminous intensity; the candela: not in scientific usage because of possible confusion with a former unit (international candle) See also candela international candle

Example Sentences

Type Ia supernovae, long considered reliable "standard candles" for measuring cosmic distances, appear to be influenced by the age of the stars that create them.

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The peak brightness of a Type Ia supernova is so strong and steady that astronomers use them as ‘standard candles’ to calculate distances in the universe and the rate at which our Universe expands!

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Pegging the distance to a Cepheid via parallax allows astronomers to calibrate the relationship between its brightness and variability, making it a workhorse “standard candle” for estimating greater cosmic distances.

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They are standard candles, objects of known brightness, and became a key tool for Hubble.

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Wendy Freedman, an astronomer at the University of Chicago, uses a certain class of red giant stars as her preferred standard candle.

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