WHAT’S UP MY MAGNANIMUS STAR FRIENDS,# TRACE HERE!

WHEN WE LOOK AT STARS IT’S EASY TO SEE SOME ARE BRIGHTER OR DIMMER# THAN OTHERS.

ASTRONOMERS NEEDED A STANDARD WAY TO MEASURE BRIGHTNESS - WE CALL# THAT: MAGNITUDE!

LEMME DEMONSTRATE.

AT ONE AM AND LOOK WEST FOR VEGA IN LYRA, DENEB# IN CYGNUS, AND ALTAIR IN AQUILA.

TOGETHER THEY FORM THE SUMMER TRIANGLE.

BUT, VEGA IS COOL# BECAUSE IT WAS CHOSEN TO BE MAGNITUDE ZERO!

THINK OF A TIMELINE WITH# VEGA AT ZERO IN THE MIDDLE POLARIS, THE NORTH STAR IS A POSITIVE 2.

JUPITER# IS WAY BRIGHTER -- AT NEGATIVE TWO POINT TWO THREE.

SIRIUS NEGATIVE ONE POINT FOUR SEVEN.# NEGATIVE MEANS BRIGHTER, POSITIVE MEANS DIMMER.

KNOWING THIS, YOU CAN PLAN STAR GAZING# MORE EASILY.

FOR EXAMPLE, MOST URBAN STAR GAZERS CAN’T SEE DIMMER THAN POSITIVE THREE, BUT AND THE DIMMEST THE HUMAN EYE CAN SEE# IS POSTIVIE SIX, EVEN IN THE DARKEST PLACES.

NOW YOU’LL KNOW HOW BRIGHT OBJECTS WILL# BE ONCE NIGHT FALLS.

KEEP LOOKIN’ UP!