Rigel has an apparent magnitude of + 0.18 and Betelgeuse an apparent magnitude of +0.45. What can you conclude from this?Group of answer choicesRigel must be closer to Earth.Betelgeuse must be closer to Earth.Both stars are brighter than the full Moon.Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse.Betelgeuse is brighter than Rigel.
Question
Rigel has an apparent magnitude of + 0.18 and Betelgeuse an apparent magnitude of +0.45. What can you conclude from this?Group of answer choicesRigel must be closer to Earth.Betelgeuse must be closer to Earth.Both stars are brighter than the full Moon.Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse.Betelgeuse is brighter than Rigel.
Solution
The apparent magnitude of a star is a measure of its brightness as seen from Earth. The lower the apparent magnitude, the brighter the star appears from Earth.
Given that Rigel has an apparent magnitude of +0.18 and Betelgeuse has an apparent magnitude of +0.45, we can conclude that Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse when viewed from Earth.
This does not necessarily mean that Rigel is closer to Earth than Betelgeuse. The apparent brightness of a star as seen from Earth depends on both its intrinsic brightness (or luminosity) and its distance from Earth. A very luminous star can appear brighter than a less luminous star even if it is farther away.
Finally, both stars are not necessarily brighter than the full Moon. The apparent magnitude of the full Moon is about -12.6, which is much lower (and therefore brighter) than either Rigel or Betelgeuse.
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