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The Visual Magnitude Scale
Visual brightness of stars, planets and other astronomical objects is based on the visual magnitude scale (Vo). Every integer increase in magnitude represents a 2.5 increase in brightness. So the Sun is 6 trillion times brighter than a 6th magnitude star, which in turn is 4 billion times brighter than a 30th magnitude star - the limit of the Hubble Space Telescope.
| Magnitude |
Object or Limit |
| -27 |
the Sun |
| -20 |
brightest meteors |
| -13 |
Full Moon |
| -4 |
Venus (brightest planet) |
| -1 |
Sirius (brightest star) |
| +6 |
naked-eye limit |
| +9 |
binoculars limit |
| +13 |
8" backyard telescope limit |
| +18 |
large telescope limit
(visual) |
| +23 |
large telescope limit
(photograpic) |
| +27 |
large telescope limit
(CCD imaging) |
| +30 |
Hubble Space Telescope limit |
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