Star Magnitudes Worksheet
Name ___________________________
Earth Science
Absolute Magnitude is a measure of the true brightness or luminosity of a star. The absolute magnitude value is
determined by placing stars a distance of 32.6 LY from the Earth. The stars are then ranked according to their
luminosity. The lower the absolute magnitude value the brighter the star. Apparent magnitude is a measure of the
brightness of a star as viewed from Earth. The apparent magnitude is how we see the stars in the night sky. Again, the
lower the apparent magnitude value of a star the brighter the star. The distance the star is from the Earth will affect the
apparent magnitude of the star.
Rank
Star
Absolute Magnitude
+4.8
Apparent
Magnitude
-26.72
Distance from Earth
(light-years)
______
_______
Sun
1
Sirius(in Canis Major)
+1.4
-1.46
8.6
2
Canopus(in Carina)
-2.5
-0.72
74
3
+4.4
-0.27
4.3
4
Rigel Kentaurus (Alpha
Centauri) in Centaurus
Arcturus (in Bootes)
+0.2
-0.04
34
5
Vega(in Lyra)
+0.6
+0.03
25
6
Capella (in Auriga)
+0.4
+0.08
41
7.
Rigel (in Orion)
-8.1
+0.12
900
8
Procyon (in Canis Minor)
+2.8
+0.38
11
9
Archenar (in Eridanus)
-1.3
+0.46
75
10
Betelgeuse(in Orion)
-7.2
+0.50
643
11
Hadar (in Centaurus)
-4.3
+0.61
300
12
Altair (in Aquila)
+2.3
+0.77
17
13
Acrux (in Crux)
-3.8
+0.79
270
14
Aldebaran (in Taurus)
-0.2
+0.85
65
15
Antares (in Scorpius)
-4.5
+0.96
400
16
Deneb (in Cygnus)
-7.2
+1.25
1500
Star Magnitude Worksheet
Name _________________________ Block ______ Date ___________
Earth Science
Use the table to answer the following questions.
1. What is the difference between absolute magnitude and apparent magnitude?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the brightest star in the night sky (not the sun)? ________________________________
3. What is the apparent magnitude of the brightest star (not the sun)? _______________________
4. The closest star to the Earth is _________________ at a distance of _____________ light years.
5. The farthest star from the Earth is _______________ at a distance of ____________ light years.
6. What is the faintest star in the night sky? __________________________________
7. Using absolute magnitude, what star is the brightest? ________________________
8. Name the two stars that are found in the constellation Orion?
_____________________ and ___________________
9. Which star is brighter in the night sky Arcturus or Antares? ________________________________
10. Which star has a lower absolute magnitude value Arcturus or Capella? ________________ Which star
would be brighter? ______________________
11. Which constellation has the brightest star in the night sky? ___________________________
12. Which star is brighter in the night sky Sirius or Deneb? ____________________
13. Rank the following stars in order from brightest (1) to dimmest (6) using apparent magnitude.
_______Vega
_______Archenar
_______Arcturus
_______Hadar
_______Canopus
_______Procyon