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The preferred method of determining cosmic distances is by spectroscopic analysis of light from faraway objects.
Much of the variance is due to the great difficulty of measuring cosmic distances.
Modern kit has allowed astronomers to nail down cosmic distances with far greater precision.
In 1908, for example, Henrietta Leavitt discovered Cepheid variable stars, which have proved crucial to the measurement of cosmic distances.
These stars, cepheids, are considered "standard candle" stars of known brightness that can serve as yardsticks for cosmic distances.
Just as one can calculate how far away a 60-watt light bulb is by how bright it appears, astronomers use type Ia supernovae to calibrate cosmic distances.
But because the observed objects are so far away and faint, beyond the range of the most trusted means of measuring cosmic distances, some scientists were reserving judgment.
But Newton's contemporaries worried deeply about the philosophical implications of gravity, especially about how gravity could possibly act instantaneously across vast cosmic distances.
The uniform brightness of these supernovae make them ideal beacons for measuring cosmic distances, which allows scientists to accurately estimate the speed of cosmic expansion.
This makes them excellent "standard candles" for measuring cosmic distances – the dimmer they appear, the farther away they are, and their distance can be confidently measured.
Q: What are "standard candles" in astronomy and how does the "standard siren" technique allow us to measure cosmic distances with greater certainty than other methods?
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