Distance indicator · Primary rung

Tip of the Red Giant Branch

The sharp, near-constant peak brightness that red giant stars reach just before the helium flash — a robust standard candle that can be measured in a galaxy's halo, away from crowding and dust. It provides an independent route to calibrating Type Ia supernovae, and its Hubble-constant value sits between the Cepheid and CMB results.

Highlights

›An independent calibration of Type Ia supernovae

Standard Candles
The Cosmic Distance Ladder
The Hubble Constant

Knowledge connections

Associated withStandard Candles
Associated withThe Cosmic Distance Ladder
Associated withThe Hubble Constant
Associated withThe Red-Giant Branch
Associated withDistance & Scale Explorer

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

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Tip of the Red Giant Branch

Highlights

Methods, objects & facilities

Knowledge connections

Sources

Tip of the Red Giant Branch

Highlights

Methods, objects & facilities

Knowledge connections

Sources