Good, a nice question with a definite answer. The magnitude1 star is 2.512
times brighter (near enough).
Absolutely. When speaking of the brightness you see from earth, you are speaking of apparent magnitude. When considering the type of star, it's composition, stage, age, size, distance, etc., a star is also assigned an absolute magnitude, so the ranking of the star if seen from similar distances reveals the truth about a star. 3.26 light years away is the assumed distance in ranking stars. A star many times farther away than a second star may appear much brighter than the second star which is much closer, based partially on the various factors mentioned above. The lower the value for a magnitude, the brighter, or more correctly, the more luminous, a star. Thus, a 3.4 is brighter than a 5.1, for example. Long ago the scale was originally an arbitrary ranking based on certain stars that were considered to be the brightest. Since then, stars even brighter have been identified, thus the need to use values even less than zero. Only a handful of stars fall below zero in apparent magnitude. So then it is not significant where in the sky (in what constellation) a star lies, the magnitude value determines the brightness.
For apparent magnitudes, a magnitude of zero has the same magnitude as Vega. A first magnitude star is 40 percent as bright and a fifth magnitude star is one percent. So, a first magnitude star is 40 times as bright as a fifth.
A star with a visual magnitude of 13.4 is 10 times brighter than a star with a magnitude of 15.4, because each step in magnitude represents a factor of about 2.5 in brightness.
A 3rd magnitude star is brighter than a 5th magnitude star by a factor of 6.25.Each integer difference of magnitude represents a change in apparent brightness of 2.5 times. Hence, a 3rd magnitude star is 2.5 x 2.5 = 6.25 times brighter than a 5th magnitude star.(check related links)
A magnitude of -5 is brighter than a magnitude of 2. The magnitude scale used in astronomy is inverted, meaning the lower the number, the brighter the object. So, a negative magnitude indicates a brighter star than a positive magnitude.
A magnitude 1 star is 100 times brighter than a magnitude 6 star.A magnitude 1 star is 100 times brighter than a magnitude 6 star.A magnitude 1 star is 100 times brighter than a magnitude 6 star.A magnitude 1 star is 100 times brighter than a magnitude 6 star.
2 magnitudes brighter means it's about 2.512 x 2.512 times brighter. So that's about 6.31 times brighter.
A magnitude 2 star is 2.5 times brighter than a magnitude 4 star because each difference in magnitude corresponds to a difference in brightness of approximately 2.5 times.
The 8th magnitude star is about 2.5 times brighter.
The main difference is brightness: a twelfth magnitude star is brighter than a fifteenth magnitude star. Magnitude is a logarithmic scale, so each step in magnitude represents a difference in brightness of about 2.5 times. This means a twelfth magnitude star is approximately 12.5 times brighter than a fifteenth magnitude star.
The model for measuring the apparent magnitude (brightness from earth) of a star says that a magnitude 1 star will be 100 times brighter than a magnitude 6 star (just visible with the naked eye). This means that a magnitude 1 star is 2.512 times brighter than a magnitude 2 star, which is 2.512 times brighter than a magnitude 3 star. To jump two places up the scale, use 2.512 x 2.512 as a multiplier, i.e. mag 1 is 6.31 times brighter than magnitude 3 star. To jump three places use 2.512 x 2.512 x 2.512 (or 2.512 cubed) = 15.851. So a magnitude 4 star will be 15.85 times brighter than a magnitude 7 star. Working the other way, a magnitude 7 star will appear 6.3% as bright as a magnitude 4 star (1/15.85 and x 100 to get percentage).
Absolutely. When speaking of the brightness you see from earth, you are speaking of apparent magnitude. When considering the type of star, it's composition, stage, age, size, distance, etc., a star is also assigned an absolute magnitude, so the ranking of the star if seen from similar distances reveals the truth about a star. 3.26 light years away is the assumed distance in ranking stars. A star many times farther away than a second star may appear much brighter than the second star which is much closer, based partially on the various factors mentioned above. The lower the value for a magnitude, the brighter, or more correctly, the more luminous, a star. Thus, a 3.4 is brighter than a 5.1, for example. Long ago the scale was originally an arbitrary ranking based on certain stars that were considered to be the brightest. Since then, stars even brighter have been identified, thus the need to use values even less than zero. Only a handful of stars fall below zero in apparent magnitude. So then it is not significant where in the sky (in what constellation) a star lies, the magnitude value determines the brightness.
For apparent magnitudes, a magnitude of zero has the same magnitude as Vega. A first magnitude star is 40 percent as bright and a fifth magnitude star is one percent. So, a first magnitude star is 40 times as bright as a fifth.
A star with a visual magnitude of 13.4 is 10 times brighter than a star with a magnitude of 15.4, because each step in magnitude represents a factor of about 2.5 in brightness.
A 3rd magnitude star is brighter than a 5th magnitude star by a factor of 6.25.Each integer difference of magnitude represents a change in apparent brightness of 2.5 times. Hence, a 3rd magnitude star is 2.5 x 2.5 = 6.25 times brighter than a 5th magnitude star.(check related links)
A magnitude of -5 is brighter than a magnitude of 2. The magnitude scale used in astronomy is inverted, meaning the lower the number, the brighter the object. So, a negative magnitude indicates a brighter star than a positive magnitude.
The lower the magnitude, the brighter it appears.