What does ** mean in python?

[ROSELJR]

radius = 5
pi = 3.14159
volume = 4.0/3 * pi * radius ** 3

print "The volume is", volume

Output result:
[root@localhost t]$ python pi.py

The volume is 523.598333333 How did this 523.598333333 come from? And what does ** mean in python?

[davef]

Working backwards it looks like radius **3 means radius * 3 * 3 * 3 or radius * 9. Is that the same as radius ^ 3?
https://careerkarma.com/blog/python-power/

[pythoncoder]

In the context of a mathematical expression it is raising to a power. Thus 2**8 == 256. The ** construct in Python has other meanings in different contexts.