51�Թ�

The peak brightness of a Type Ia supernova is so strong and steady that astronomers use them as ‘standard candles’ to calculate distances in the universe and the rate at which our Universe expands!

Pegging the distance to a Cepheid via parallax allows astronomers to calibrate the relationship between its brightness and variability, making it a workhorse “standard candle” for estimating greater cosmic distances.

They are standard candles, objects of known brightness, and became a key tool for Hubble.

Wendy Freedman, an astronomer at the University of Chicago, uses a certain class of red giant stars as her preferred standard candle.

The aftermath of these explosions, known as supernovae, are so readily classifiable that they are called "standard candles," meaning observations of their brightness can be used to calculate distance.