definitions

absolute magnitude

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.

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Nearby words

absolute hyperopia, absolute impediment, absolute index of refraction, absolute judgment, absolute leukocytosis, absolute magnitude, absolute majority, absolute maximum, absolute minimum, absolute monarchy, absolute music
Compare apparent magnitude.

Origin of absolute magnitude

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Science 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.