How variable stars are used to measure distances. Why are they referred to as st

Question

How variable stars are used to measure distances. Why are they referred to as standard candles (what is a standard candle anyway)? How can a light source with a standard absolute luminosity be used to measure distance? What do we have to watch out for that might introduce inaccuracies when using pulsating variables? What types of pulsating variables are there, where are they found and when is it possible to use them? Is Mira pulsating variable that can be used for this purpose? How do statistics come into play using these stars as distance measuring devices? I do not need all questions answered, but I would appreciate some insight. Thank you in advance!

Explanation / Answer

Cepheid variable stars are a class of stars whose luminous intensity varies with a predictable pattern. They are generally supergiants, 500 to 30,000 times brighter than our sun. The time it takes for the star to go from its brightest to its dimmest and then back to its brightest is called its period of luminosity. This length of time is determined by the brightness of the star, so astronomers can figure out how bright the star is, which is useful in calculating distance.

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