How Can You Determine the Sun’s Absolute Magnitude?

[scoopaloop]

1.
(a) What is the distance modulus of the Sun? (b) What is the Sun’s absolute magnitude?2. I found the distance modulous using 5log(4.84E-6/10) to be -31.6. I feel like I need the apparent magnitude to get the absolute, my teacher is very vague about what we are given to use. Is there a way to do part b without the apparent magnitude using luminosity or flux or something of the sort? Thanks3. I feel like I should use this m-M=distance modulus but I wasn't given any thing to work with.

 

[gneill]

I don't see how starting with luminosity or the solar constant is superior to starting with the apparent magnitude: They're all values that you aren't given in the problem itself and would have to look up (or measure somehow). So, I'd suggest using the apparent magnitude, which is a pretty well known value that should probably be memorized if you're doing an astronomy related course.

 

[scoopaloop]

I was assigned problem 4, the apparent magnitude was given in problem 3. I should have just read that, thanks though.