How do I convert luminosity to magnitude?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on converting luminosity values into apparent magnitudes using the formula m_1 = m_{sun} - 2.5 log(L/L_{sun}). The user is specifically working with Log (L/L_sun) data and seeks to understand how to apply this formula to calculate the apparent magnitude of stars. The provided example demonstrates that for a Log (L/L_sun) value of 4.4799, the resulting apparent magnitude is calculated as m_1 = -26.74 - 2.5 * 4.4799, yielding a significantly high magnitude value, indicating a bright star.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of stellar luminosity and its logarithmic representation
  • Familiarity with the concept of apparent magnitude in astronomy
  • Basic knowledge of logarithmic calculations
  • Awareness of the Sun's magnitude as a reference point (m_{sun} = -26.74)
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the differences between apparent and absolute magnitude in astronomy
  • Learn how to calculate luminosity from apparent magnitude
  • Explore the implications of magnitude calculations on stellar classification
  • Investigate the use of Python libraries for astronomical calculations, such as Astropy
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy students, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in stellar properties and magnitude calculations will benefit from this discussion.

the riddick25
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I am trying to find out how fast a star's magnitude changes over time, and have two columns of data.
The first is the time since the stay left the main sequence, and the second is Log (L/L_sun).

I am unsure as to how to chance the luminosity values into magnitudes, which means I can't answer the question.

I thought it might be m=2.5 log L but I don't know if this is correct or not.

If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks :D
 
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Depends whether you want apparent or absolute magnitude.
For apparent the formula would be
m_1 - m_2 = -2.5 \log{\frac{L_1}{L_2}}
 
But I'm not given actual luminosities, I've been given Log (L/L_sun)
so for example one of my values is 4.4799, how would i turn this into a magnitude?

And yes, I was looking for an apparent magnitude, forgot to mention it in my first post
 
m_1 = m_{sun} - 2.5\log{\frac{L}{L_{sun}}}
where m_{sun} = –26.74

So for the value you gave you'd get
m_1 = -26.74 - 2.5*4.4799
which gives a pretty high magnitude as the lower the magnitude, the brighter the object.
 

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