apparent magnitude

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the magnitude of a star as it appears to an observer on the earth.

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apparent magnitude British  

noun

1. another name for magnitude

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apparent magnitude Scientific  

1. See under magnitude

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Etymology

Origin of apparent magnitude

First recorded in 1870–75

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Compare meaning

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

• apparent magnitude vs. absolute magnitude

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apparent magnitude

The company says it is planning to use anti-reflective materials on its next-generation satellites, as well as certain flight manoeuvres to reduce the crafts’ apparent magnitude.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 2, 2023

The apparent magnitude of Frelimo’s win was criticized by some independent analysts.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2019

The star then continued to increase slowly in brightness until it was about the same apparent magnitude as the stars in the Little Dipper.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

Well, it has an apparent magnitude of 7.075, a similar mass and temperature to our own sun, and a Neptune-sized planet, HD164595 b, in its orbit.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 31, 2016

If the comparison of the apparent magnitude of the stars with their number leads to no immediately obvious conclusion, it is otherwise when we view them in connection with their local distribution over the heavens.

From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science by Sir John Alexander Hammerton

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