The absolute magnitude of the Sun is +4.8 and its luminosity is 3.9 × 10²⁶ watts. The luminosity of a star whose absolute magnitude is +3.8 is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The luminosity of a star can be related to its absolute magnitude through a specific formula that involves a base-10 logarithmic scale. For every decrease of 1 in the absolute magnitude, the luminosity of a star increases by about 2.512 times (the inverse of the Pogson ratio). Given that the star in question has an absolute magnitude that is 1 magnitude lower than the Sun's (+3.8 compared to +4.8 for the Sun), its luminosity would be approximately 2.512 times that of the Sun. Since the Sun's luminosity is given as 3.9 × 10^26 W, the star's luminosity would be 3.9 × 10^26 W * 2.512 ≈ 9.8 × 10^26 W.

The Absolute Magnitude of the Sun Is +4