Compared to magnitude 1 star, a star with a magnitude of 2 is
A)more than twice as bright.
B)less than half as bright.
C)ten times as bright.
D)less than one tenth as bright.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The magnitude scale is logarithmic, so each increase of one magnitude corresponds to a decrease in brightness by a factor of 2.512. Therefore, a star with a magnitude of 2 is 2.512 times less bright than a magnitude 1 star, which is less than half as bright.

Compared to Magnitude 1 Star, a Star with a Magnitude