•6. If we have two stars in fictional constellations, and the two stars are named Alpha Buffalo and Beta Cowboy, which is brighter and by what factor? The apparent visual magnitude of Alpha Buffalo is 3.2 and the the apparent visual magnitude of Beta Cowboy is 2.7.
•
•Magnitudes are “backwards” so the star with the smaller magnitude
(Beta Cowboy) must be brighter.
By what factor? Use the equation
IA/IB =
2.512 (mB-mA) = 2.512-0.5 = 0.63
•So IB/IA =
1/0.63 or about 1.6.