Comparing the magnitudes of different objects Discipline: EducationWhen Hipparchus first invented his magnitude scale, he intended each grade of magnitude to be about twice the brightness of the following grade. In other words, a first magnitude star was twice as bright as a second magnitude star. A star with apparent magnitude +3 was 8 (2x2x2) times brighter than a star with apparent magnitude +6.Tags: brightnesslogarithmHipparchusPogson
What is apparent magnitude? Discipline: Education Astronomers use the term apparent magnitude to describe how bright an object appears in the sky from Earth. The idea of a magnitude scale dates back to Hipparchus (around 150 BC) who invented a scale to describe the the brightness of the stars he could see.Tags: brightnessHipparchus
