The apparent magnitude (m) of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere. The brighter the object appears, the lower the value of its magnitude. Generally the visible spectrum (vmag) is used for the apparent magnitude, but other spectrums such as the near-infrared J-band magnitude are also used. In the visible spectrum Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, while in the near-infrared J-band, Betelgeuse is the brightest star in the night sky.
Read more about Apparent Magnitude: History, Table of Notable Celestial Objects, Calculations, Standard Reference Values
Famous quotes containing the words apparent and/or magnitude:
“[Women’s] apparent endorsement of male supremacy is ... a pathetic striving for self- respect, self-justification, and self-pardon. After fifteen hundred years of subjection to men, Western woman finds it almost unbearable to face the fact that she has been hoodwinked and enslaved by her inferiors—that the master is lesser than the slave.”
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