RR Lyrae variable stars

E492359

RR Lyrae variable stars are old, low-mass pulsating stars used as standard candles to measure distances within the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
RR Lyrae variable star 0
RR Lyrae variables 2

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Population II star
horizontal branch star
pulsating variable star
standard candle
calibratedBy Gaia mission data
parallax measurements
discovered early 20th century
distanceScaleUse Local Group distance scale
Milky Way distance scale
evolutionaryStage core helium-burning phase
foundIn Milky Way NERFINISHED
galactic halo
globular cluster
nearby galaxy
hostGalaxyComponent dwarf spheroidal galaxy
thick disk
lightCurveShapeRRab asymmetric sawtooth
lightCurveShapeRRc more sinusoidal
locatedIn instability strip
metallicity metal-poor
namedAfter RR Lyrae NERFINISHED
observationalBand infrared
optical
periodLuminosityRelation present but weaker in optical bands
tight in infrared bands
RRabCharacteristics fundamental-mode pulsators
RRcCharacteristics first-overtone pulsators
RRdCharacteristics double-mode pulsators
spectralTypeRange A to F
subclass RRab
RRc
RRd
tracesComponent old bulge population
stellar halo
typicalAbsoluteMagnitudeV around +0.6
typicalAge old
typicalAmplitudeRangeV 0.3 to 2 magnitudes
typicalEffectiveTemperatureRange about 6000 to 7500 K
typicalLocationInCluster horizontal branch of color-magnitude diagram
typicalLuminosity about 40 to 50 times solar luminosity
typicalMass about 0.6 to 0.8 solar masses
typicalMetallicityRange [Fe/H] from about −2.5 to −0.5
typicalPeriodRange 0.2 to 1 day
typicalPopulation Population II
usedFor Galactic structure studies
distance measurement
tracing old stellar populations
variabilityCause radial pulsation
variabilityMechanism kappa mechanism

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Draco Dwarf Galaxy contains RR Lyrae variable stars
this entity surface form: RR Lyrae variables
Messier 30 contains RR Lyrae variable stars
this entity surface form: RR Lyrae variables
SMC contains RR Lyrae variable stars