A star used to calibrate observations of previously unstudied stars, particularly for photometry. In spectrophotometry, standard stars are compared with a blackbody source close to the telescope so that the amount of radiation emitted at each wavelength is known. In conventional photometry, standard stars have accurately known magnitude and colors against which stars under study are compared. Related categories• TYPES OF STARSHome • About • Copyright © The Worlds of David Darling • Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy • Contact