absolute magnitude

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the magnitude of a star as it would appear to a hypothetical observer at a distance of 10 parsecs or 32.6 light-years.

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absolute magnitude British  

noun

1. the apparent magnitude a given star would have if it were situated at a distance of 10 parsecs (32.6 light years) from the earth

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absolute magnitude Scientific  

1. See under at magnitude

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Etymology

Origin of absolute magnitude

First recorded in 1900–05

Compare meaning

How does absolute-magnitude compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• apparent magnitude vs. absolute magnitude

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

absolute magnitude

A fast reading with the photocell gave me the apparent magnitude and a comparison with its absolute magnitude showed its distance.

From The Repairman by Harry Harrison

By this method the absolute magnitude, and hence the distance of a star is accurately determined from estimates of the relative intensities of certain lines in stellar spectra.

From Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies by David Peck Todd

This plant obviously was chosen by the Lord, not on account of its absolute magnitude, but because it was, and was recognised to be, a striking instance of increase from very small to very great.

From The Parables of Our Lord by William Arnot

Last year he published in Nature an article which, running from four different lines of argument, seeks to establish proof of the absolute magnitude of the atoms of matter.

From Western Worthies A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West of Scotland Celebrities by J. Stephen (James Stephen) Jeans

In this way was discovered the dependence of their relative intensities on the star's absolute magnitude, so providing the powerful method of spectroscopic parallaxes.

From Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies by David Peck Todd