Absolute magnitude

In astronomy, absolute magnitude is the apparent magnitude, m, an object would have if it were at a standardized distance away. It allows the overall brightnesses of objects to be compared without regard to distance.

Related Topics:
Astronomy - Apparent magnitude

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The absolute magnitude uses the same convention as the visual magnitude, with a ~2.512 difference in brightness between step rates (because 2.5125 ? 100). The Milky Way, for example, has an absolute magnitude of about -20.5. So a quasar at an absolute magnitude of -25.5 is 100 times brighter than our galaxy. If this particular quasar and our galaxy could be seen side by side at the same distance, the quasar would be 5 magnitudes (or 100 times) brighter than our galaxy.

Related Topics:
Brightness - Milky Way - Quasar - Galaxy

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