Apparent magnitude
What Apparent magnitude means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Apparent magnitude
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Reference: AQA
The objective, logarithmic scale astronomers use instead, comparing the intensity of radiation received from a star with a reference value so measurements are reproducible.
Magnitude 6 is the faintest typically visible without optical aid, a limit of human vision rather than a fixed physical property of the star itself.
A logarithmic measure of the irradiance received from a star or other astronomical object, describing how bright it appears from Earth.
A logarithmic measure of how bright a star appears from Earth, where smaller or more negative values indicate brighter objects.
Topics that use Apparent magnitude
- Classification by luminosity (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Apparent versus absolute magnitude
- Brightness
- Intensity of radiation received
- Irradiance
- Logarithmic brightness ratio
- Logarithmic brightness scale
- Logarithmic scale
- Luminosity
Using Apparent magnitude in the exam
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