Cepheid Star
- Variable stars
- Large, yellow, pulsating stars
- Rise rapidly to maximum light then falls more slowly to minimum light
- Several hundred known in our galaxy
- The period is directly related to luminosity
- Has a shell of partially ionized helium
- Shell is effective at absorbing photons (energy from the core)
- The layer heats up and expands, making the star bigger and brighter
- Shell gets bigger and spread thin, stops absorbing photons
- Shell starts contracting and shrinking
- Repeat steps
Types
Type 1
Type 2
Astronomy Star