Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
John Goodricke was an 18th-century astronomer known for his work on variable stars. He made significant contributions to the understanding of these stars' periodic brightness changes.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
John Goodricke discovered the periodic variability of the star Algol.
Goodricke proposed that Algol's variability was due to an eclipsing binary system, a hypothesis later confirmed.
He received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society for his groundbreaking work on variable stars.
Despite being deaf, Goodricke made detailed astronomical observations and calculations.
Goodricke's work laid foundational knowledge for using variable stars as 'standard candles' to measure cosmic distances.
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Related terms
Variable Star: A star whose brightness as seen from Earth fluctuates over time.
Eclipsing Binary: A binary star system in which one star periodically passes in front of the other, causing variations in observed brightness.
Copley Medal: An award given by the Royal Society of London for outstanding achievements in scientific research.