JoinScope on the Skies: Star light, star bright
In astronomy, the brightness of a star is described in terms of a star’s magnitude. Stellar magnitude is expressed two different ways, using the terms apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude. For both magnitudes, the numbering scale is the same, with negative numbers being brighter stars and positive numbers being dimmer stars. This month’s column sheds light on the stars and how astronomers measure distances to these celestial objects.