A particular star is at a distance of 5 pc from Earth. For this star, the apparent magnitude will have
A) the same value as its absolute magnitude, since magnitude is independent of distance.
B) a smaller value than its absolute magnitude.
C) a larger or smaller value than its absolute magnitude, depending on the temperature and diameter of the star.
D) a larger value than its absolute magnitude.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The apparent magnitude of a star is how bright it appears from Earth, while the absolute magnitude is how bright the star would appear if it were located 10 parsecs away. Since this star is at a distance of 5 parsecs, it will appear brighter (and thus have a smaller apparent magnitude number) than its absolute magnitude.

A Particular Star Is at a Distance of 5 Pc