What is the difference between apparent and absolute magnitude
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The difference between apparent and absolute magnitude lies in how we measure the brightness of celestial objects such as stars.
Apparent magnitude is a measurement of how bright an object appears to us on Earth. It takes into account the combined effects of the object's intrinsic brightness and its distance from us. In other words, it is a subjective measure of how bright the object appears in our sky. The apparent magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that each step on the scale represents a change in brightness by a factor of about 2.5 times.
Absolute magnitude, on the other hand, is a measurement of the intrinsic brightness of an object. It is defined as the apparent magnitude that the object would have if it were located at a standard distance of 10 parsecs (about 32.6 light-years) from us. By measuring the absolute magnitude, we can compare the true brightness of different celestial objects, regardless of their distances from Earth.
To calculate the absolute magnitude of a celestial object, astronomers need to know its apparent magnitude (as observed from Earth) and its distance from us. By using the inverse square law of light, which states that the brightness of an object decreases with the square of the distance from the observer, astronomers can calculate the absolute magnitude. This enables them to compare the intrinsic brightness of different objects and gain insights into their properties.
In summary, apparent magnitude measures how bright an object appears from our perspective on Earth, whereas absolute magnitude represents the true, intrinsic brightness of the object as if it were at a standard distance of 10 parsecs from us.