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absolute magnitude
A measure of the true brightness of an object in space. Specifically, it is the apparent magnitude of a star, or other bright object, when seen from a standard distance of 10 parsecs (32.6 light-years). Absolute magnitude M can be found from the objects' apparent magnitude m and its parallax π in arcseconds using the formula
Absolute magnitudes provide a means of comparing the luminosity of one object with that of another.
See also distance modulus.
Related categories
• ASTRONOMICAL QUANTITIES
• OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY
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