Skip to content
AsteriaStar
Technique · Photometry & Imaging

The Magnitude System

Astronomy's logarithmic, backwards brightness scale, in which smaller numbers are brighter. Apparent magnitude is how bright an object looks; absolute magnitude is how bright it truly is — and the difference gives its distance.

Photometry & ImagingMeasures: Brightness on the magnitude scale

Highlights

  • ›Apparent minus absolute magnitude gives distance

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.