Observing basics
绝对星等
Absolute magnitude
The magnitude an object would have at 10 parsecs.
The Sun's absolute magnitude is +4.83 — a very ordinary star.
Related terms
- Dark adaptation — Eyes adjusting to darkness over 20–40 minutes.
- Averted vision — Looking slightly off-target to use rod-rich retina.
- Red light — Reading charts under red light to keep dark adaptation.
- Pickering scale — A 1–10 scale for how steady a star looks.