Question 3. Magnitude of Stars
The star Sirius has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 and appears 95-times brighter compared to the more distant star Tau Ceti, which has an absolute magnitude of 5.69.
(Distance Orbital Period)
Mercury 0.39 AU 88 days
Venus 0.72 AU 225 days
Earth 1.00 AU 365 days
Mars 1.52 AU 687 days
(a) Explain the terms apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude and bolometric magnitude.
(b) Calculate the apparent magnitude of the star Tau Ceti.
(c) Find the distance between the Earth and Tau Ceti.