What’s the Difference Between a Star and a Comet?

#shorts #magnitude #fainter #exploding star #larger magnitudes Astronomers are all excited about the exploding comet Pons-Brooks, but don’t bother looking for it if you’re not an expert. Even if you’re an expert, you might not be able to see it because of light pollution or the Moon. And even if you can see it, it won’t be as bright as you think because of the magnitude scale. The magnitude scale is a way of measuring how bright objects appear to us on Earth. It’s kind of like a decibel scale, where a difference of one magnitude means an object is 2.52 times brighter or dimmer. So a magnitude 1 object is 2.52 times brighter than a magnitude 2 object, and a magnitude -1 object is 2.52 times brighter than a magnitude 0 object. The brightest objects in the sky have negative magnitudes, and the dimmest objects have magnitudes of 30 or more. So don’t be disappointed if you can’t see Pons-Brooks, it’s probably just too faint.

🌈 Ready for more?

Discover incredible products through my Amazon affiliate link! 🎁

Feeling generous? Support my caffeine obsession at Buy Me a Coffee ☕️.

Your clicks fuel the fun! 🚀✨