Apparent Magnitude

Real World Example

Imagine trying to hear your favorite song playing from a smartphone in a busy, noisy street. Just as the distance and surrounding noise affect how well you can hear the music, the distance of a star from Earth and other cosmic factors affect how bright it appears to us. The apparent magnitude of a star is like the volume of that music; closer stars are like speakers turned up loud, easily heard above the hustle and bustle, while distant stars are like whispers lost in the ambient noise.