Apparent visual magnitude/brightness problem

[toph]

Hi

I am working on a problem that requires me to calculate the brightness of a distant star. The problem i have is that the only information i have on the star is its distance and its apparent magnitude.

I think that i can solve this problem with the equation for magnitude i.e
m = -2.5 log(b/b0)

Where b = brightness of star and b0 = brightness of reference star with magnitude zero.

What i am struggling with is how to rearrange this equation to find the brightness of the distant star.
a) Can this equation be reaaranged to find the brightness required.
b) Is there another method that can help me find the required brightness with the limited information i have.
thanks for your help.

 

[toph]

Thanks for looking but i think i have solved this problem!

I had spent several hours looking at this problem and then decided to ask for your advise.
But as is often the case when you walk away from the problem and think of something else you often realize where you were going wrong.

Thanks anyway.

 

[kyle8921]

Hello,

I can understand your struggle with this apparent visual magnitude/brightness problem. The equation you have mentioned is correct and can be rearranged to find the brightness of the distant star. In order to do so, you will need to first isolate the brightness variable on one side of the equation by dividing both sides by -2.5 and then taking the inverse logarithm of both sides. This will give you the brightness value of the distant star.

However, there are other methods that can also help you find the required brightness with the limited information you have. One method is to use the distance modulus equation, which relates the distance of a star to its apparent and absolute magnitudes. This can be used to find the absolute magnitude of the star, which can then be used to calculate its brightness.

Another method is to use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, which plots the luminosity of stars against their surface temperature. By knowing the distance and apparent magnitude of the star, you can estimate its luminosity and then use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to find its brightness.

I hope this helps you with your problem. Best of luck in your calculations!