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