▁Object s ▁appearing ▁farther ▁to ▁the ▁left ▁on ▁this ▁line ▁are ▁br ighter , ▁while ▁objects ▁appearing ▁farther ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁are ▁dim mer . ▁Thus ▁zero ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁middle , ▁with ▁the ▁bright est ▁objects ▁on ▁the ▁far ▁left , ▁and ▁the ▁dim m est ▁objects ▁on ▁the ▁far ▁right . ▁ ▁Appar ent ▁and ▁absolute ▁magnitude ▁ ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁types ▁of ▁magn itudes ▁distinguished ▁by ▁astronom ers ▁are : ▁ ▁Appar ent ▁magnitude , ▁the ▁bright ness ▁of ▁an ▁object ▁as ▁it ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁night ▁sky . ▁▁ ▁Ab solute ▁magnitude , ▁which ▁measures ▁the ▁lum inos ity ▁of ▁an ▁object ▁( or ▁reflected ▁light ▁for ▁non - l umin ous ▁objects ▁like ▁astero ids ); ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁object ' s ▁apparent ▁magnitude ▁as ▁seen ▁from ▁a ▁specific ▁distance , ▁convention ally ▁ 1 0 ▁parse cs ▁( 3 2 . 6 ▁light ▁years ). ▁ ▁The ▁difference ▁between ▁these ▁concepts ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁by ▁comparing ▁two ▁stars . ▁Bet el ge use ▁( app ar ent ▁magnitude ▁ 0 . 5 , ▁absolute ▁magnitude ▁− 5 . 8 ) ▁appears ▁slightly ▁dim mer ▁in ▁the ▁sky ▁than ▁Al pha ▁Cent a uri ▁( app ar ent ▁magnitude ▁ 0 . 0 , ▁absolute ▁magnitude ▁ 4 . 4 ) ▁even ▁though ▁it ▁em its ▁thousands ▁of ▁times ▁more ▁light , ▁because ▁Bet el ge use ▁is ▁much ▁farther ▁away . ▁ ▁Appar ent ▁magnitude ▁▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁modern ▁log arith mic ▁magnitude ▁scale , ▁two