What is the difference between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude?

Apparent magnitude vs. absolute magnitude. When taking Earth as a reference point, however, the scale of magnitude fails to account for the true differences in brightness between stars. The apparent brightness, or apparent magnitude, depends on the location of the observer. read more

• Apparent magnitude is the brightness of an astronomical body as seen from earth, while absolute magnitude is the apparent magnitude of a body as seen from 10 parsecs or 32.6 light years from the earth. • The absolute magnitude is an intrinsic measurement, but apparent magnitude is not. read more

The main difference between absolute and apparent magnitude is that apparent magnitude measures the observed brightness of an object from any point, whereas absolute magnitude calculates the brightness of the object as seen from a standard distance away from the object. read more