Hello,
I've been looking for information on the "photovisual magnitude" (mpv) scale. As far as I understand it is obsolete but I would like to know if this is the same as apparent magnitudes (mv) or is there a conversion method?
Thank you,
Andrew
The photovisual magnitude is just how bright a star or object appears on a photographic plate that is sensitive to the predominant wavelength in the visual part of the spectrum (Yellow-Green....530nm). It's an obsolete term. We just refer to it as the visual (v) magnitude now.
Apparent magnitude is the magnitude of a star or object as it appears on a photographic plate, digital image or by visual observation. The absolute magnitude is a "calibration" of that object's brightness to how it would appear at a set distance from us....10 parsecs (32.6 light years).
