| Term: | Absolute magnitude |
| Definition: |
The magnitude a star would have if it were at a distance of 10 parsecs in a void space, without interstellar absorption. The absolute magnitude is usually deduced from the visual magnitude, measured through a V filter (UBV system), when it is written as M_V. If it is defined for another wavelength, it gets another index (U, B, etc). If the radiation on all wavelengths is included, it becomes absolute bolometric magnitude, M_bol. The Sun has the absolute magnitude +4.8. Most of the stars have absolute magnitudes ranging between -9 (supergiants) and +19 (red dwarfs). |