The star Vega has an apparent visual magnitude of 0.03 and the star HR 4374 has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.87. It has been determined that both stars are at the same distance from Earth. What does this information tell us about the two stars
A)Vega must be closer to Earth than HR 4374.
B)Vega must be farther from Earth than HR 4374.
C)Vega must produce less energy per second than HR 4374.
D)Vega must produce more energy per second than HR 4374.
E)Vega will appear fainter to us than HR 4374.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since both stars are at the same distance from Earth and Vega has a brighter apparent magnitude (0.03) compared to HR 4374 (4.87), Vega must be emitting more energy per second. In the magnitude scale, lower numbers indicate brighter objects, so Vega's lower magnitude means it is brighter and thus more luminous than HR 4374.

The Star Vega Has an Apparent Visual Magnitude of 0