Compared to the Sun's apparent brightness from Earth, how much brighter does Sirius appear to a terrestrial observer?
Answer
About 10 billion times brighter than the Sun.
Despite the Sun being intrinsically much fainter than Sirius A (only 25 times less luminous overall), the Sun appears vastly brighter from Earth because of its extreme proximity—just one astronomical unit away. Conversely, Sirius, despite its 8.6 light-year distance, still appears exceptionally brilliant due to its high luminosity. When comparing the visual impact from Earth, Sirius manages to appear approximately 10 billion times brighter than the Sun. This stark contrast underscores the critical role distance plays in determining how bright any star seems to an observer on our planet.
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