In the astronomical magnitude scale used to compare celestial brightness, what meaning does a lower or more negative number convey?
Answer
Greater brightness
The magnitude scale is an inverse measure of apparent brightness as perceived from Earth. Objects that appear brighter are assigned lower, or more negative, numerical values. For example, the Sun, being overwhelmingly bright, possesses a magnitude near -26.7, while the Full Moon is around -12.7. Conversely, fainter objects have positive magnitudes, like Sirius at approximately -1.46. This inverse relationship means that as the numerical value decreases toward the negative end of the scale, the object's visual intensity increases substantially.
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