-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Examples of variable star in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stars that change in brightness, known as variable stars, get brighter and dimmer; supernovas burst into view and then gradually fade away; and thousands of objects too faint to see with the unaided eye, like asteroids, move steadily across the sky.
—Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2024
Using these variable stars, scientists can measure the distances to galaxies up to about 100 million light-years from us.
—Quanta Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024
Henrietta Swan Leavitt developed a key method for measuring astronomical distances that is based on the pulsations of Cepheid variable stars.
—WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023
Photograph: Alamy Hubble in turn wrote up his variable star measurements and convinced everyone that Andromeda was indeed a separate galaxy.
—WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for variable star
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1788, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near variable star
Cite this Entry
“Variable star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/variable%20star. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
variable star
noun
: a star whose brightness changes usually in more or less regular periods
More from Merriam-Webster on variable star
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for variable star
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about variable star
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share