Absolute Magnitude
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Absolute Magnitude
(symbol M)
1. A measure of the brightness of a star equal to the
magnitude
the star would have at a distance of 10
parsecs from the
observer.
Missing Image:IMG SRC="equat/abmag.gif" WIDTH=132 HEIGHT=18 ALT="absolute magnitude equation"
where m is apparent magnitude, and p is the
parallax of the star (in seconds of arc). Absolute magnitudes may be visual, photographic,
etc., according to the way in which the apparent magnitude
was measured.
2. The stellar magnitude any
meteor would have if placed
in the observer's zenith at a height of 100 kilometers.
References
This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use
