Observed Brightness

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Astrophysics

The flux due to a light emitting object measured at the observer (in most cases, at the earth or a satellite). Observed brightness is proportional to 1 divided by the distance to the object squared. The full moon has a greater observed brightness than the star, Vega, even though Vega has a greater luminosity.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Physics Division — The Universe Adventure Glossary retrieved 2014-05-20