Magnitudvärdena

Magnitudvärdena refers to the numerical values associated with the magnitude of celestial objects. In astronomy, magnitude is a logarithmic scale used to describe the brightness of stars, planets, and other cosmic bodies as seen from Earth. A lower magnitude value indicates a brighter object, while a higher value signifies a dimmer object. For instance, the Sun has a magnitude of approximately -26.74, making it the brightest object in our sky. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, has a magnitude of -1.46. Conversely, very faint stars might have magnitudes of +20 or even higher.

The scale is not linear; a difference of five magnitudes corresponds to a brightness difference of 100 times. This means an object with a magnitude of 0 is 100 times brighter than an object with a magnitude of 5. The zero point of the scale was historically based on bright stars, but is now defined more precisely using a system of flux measurements. Apparent magnitude (m) describes how bright an object appears from Earth, taking into account its distance and intrinsic luminosity. Absolute magnitude (M), on the other hand, represents the intrinsic brightness of a celestial object, defined as the apparent magnitude it would have if it were located at a standard distance of 10 parsecs. By comparing apparent and absolute magnitudes, astronomers can determine the distance to stars.