Pogson's Ratio

Pogson's Ratio is a way astronomers measure the brightness difference between two stars. It states that a difference of five magnitudes corresponds to a brightness ratio of exactly 100. In other words, if one star is five magnitudes brighter than another, it is 100 times more luminous. The magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning small differences in magnitude represent large changes in brightness. This ratio helps astronomers compare stellar brightness levels quantitatively across the universe efficiently and consistently.