When Venus is at its brightest visual magnitude of approximately -4.9, how much brighter is it compared to the star Sirius at -1.46?
Answer
More than 25 times brighter
The difference in apparent magnitude between Venus at its peak visibility ($ ext{-}4.9$) and Sirius, the brightest true star ($ ext{-}1.46$), is significant. The relationship between magnitudes indicates a substantial difference in light intensity. Specifically, Venus shines with an intensity that surpasses Sirius by a factor exceeding 25 times. This discrepancy emphasizes that objects close to Earth that reflect light efficiently, like Venus, will visually dominate objects that are intrinsically much more luminous but located immensely farther away, such as true stars.
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