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Recording Stellar Heartbeats

To determine if the variable star that you have "observed" has a regular cycle, you will need to plot your observations on a graph and analyze the resulting light curve. A graph of magnitude versus Julian Day (JD) has been provided for you. Print this page and transfer your magnitude estimations from the table onto the graph.

Plot

Study the resulting light curve. Does this variable star show periodic behavior? Is this the light curve for a Cepheid variable star?

Return to Variable Stars Index