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Old 22-12-2005, 05:05 PM
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janoskiss (Steve H)
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Muddy, the galaxy's light is spread over a larger area so its "surface brightness" is much less than that of a star of similar magnitude. Apparent magnitude is a measure of the total light reaching the earth from an object. Maximum surface brightness (light intensity per unit solid angle of sky) is the more relevant measure for both visual and photographic astronomy but unfortunately it's rarely included in charts & planetarium software.
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