absolute magnitude
Save This Word!
noun Astronomy.
the magnitude of a star as it would appear to a hypothetical observer at a distance of 10 parsecs or 32.6 light-years.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Compare apparent magnitude.
Origin of absolute magnitude
First recorded in 1900–05
Words nearby absolute magnitude
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for absolute magnitude
British Dictionary definitions for absolute magnitude
absolute magnitude
noun
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for absolute magnitude
absolute magnitude
See under at magnitude.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.