Cepheid
noun
Ce·phe·id
ˈse-f(ē-)id 
ˈsē-
ˈsē-
: any of a class of variable stars whose very regular light variations are related directly to their intrinsic luminosities and whose apparent luminosities are used to estimate distances in astronomy
Examples of Cepheid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the Hubble Space Telescope, some of the light from any given Cepheid star overlapped with light from other stars close to it, so scientists had to use statistics to estimate how bright the Cepheid was alone.
—
Marc Kamionkowski, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
At subsidiary Cepheid, which handles molecular diagnostics, the team reported market share gains in molecular testing.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 July 2024
The standard candle that Hubble used in plotting his diagram was a Cepheid variable, a star that brightens and dims at regular intervals.
—Richard Panek, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
The diagnostics company Cepheid also lowered the cost of one of its test cartridges for the GeneXpert after John started another online campaign.
—Katherine MacPhail, STAT, 16 Mar. 2024
In the nearby cosmos, scientists measure distances using stars called Cepheid variables that periodically change in brightness.
—Quanta Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024
Energized by the finding, Hubble carried out the calculations and realized the Cepheid had led him to an even greater discovery.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
This collection of 36 images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features galaxies that are all hosts to both Cepheid variables and supernovae.
—Paul M. Sutter, Popular Mechanics, 3 Jan. 2023
This collection of 37 images from the Hubble Space Telescope, taken between 2003 and 2021, includes galaxies that are all hosts to both Cepheid variables and supernovae.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 May 2022
Marc Kamionkowski, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
At subsidiary Cepheid, which handles molecular diagnostics, the team reported market share gains in molecular testing.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 July 2024
The standard candle that Hubble used in plotting his diagram was a Cepheid variable, a star that brightens and dims at regular intervals.
—Richard Panek, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
The diagnostics company Cepheid also lowered the cost of one of its test cartridges for the GeneXpert after John started another online campaign.
—Katherine MacPhail, STAT, 16 Mar. 2024
In the nearby cosmos, scientists measure distances using stars called Cepheid variables that periodically change in brightness.
—Quanta Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024
Energized by the finding, Hubble carried out the calculations and realized the Cepheid had led him to an even greater discovery.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
This collection of 36 images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features galaxies that are all hosts to both Cepheid variables and supernovae.
—Paul M. Sutter, Popular Mechanics, 3 Jan. 2023
This collection of 37 images from the Hubble Space Telescope, taken between 2003 and 2021, includes galaxies that are all hosts to both Cepheid variables and supernovae.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 May 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Cepheid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cepheid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Cepheid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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Cepheid
noun
Ce·phe·id
ˈsē-fē-əd
: one of a class of pulsating stars whose changes in brightness are very regular
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