What intrinsic property allows Cepheid variable stars to function as standard candles?

Answer

A direct, predictable relationship between their pulsation period and their absolute luminosity

Cepheid variables pulsate rhythmically, and Henrietta Leavitt established the period-luminosity relation, which links the time taken for one cycle of dimming and brightening directly to the star's true, or absolute, brightness.

What intrinsic property allows Cepheid variable stars to function as standard candles?

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