The faintest stars observable through the largest telescopes have apparent magnitudes of roughly m = 30. How many of these stars would it take to equal the brightness of Vega, which has m = 0? A) 30 B) 30 * 2.512 C) 30^2.512 D) 2.512³⁰

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The apparent magnitude scale is logarithmic, with a difference of 5 magnitudes corresponding to a brightness factor of 100. Therefore, a difference of 30 magnitudes corresponds to a brightness factor of 2.512^30.

The Faintest Stars Observable Through the Largest Telescopes Have Apparent