Celestial Navigation · Star Identification — Magnitude
On the magnitude scale used for stars and planets, a SMALLER (or more negative) magnitude number means the body is:
- ACloser to the horizon
- BDimmer
- CBrighter✓ Correct
- DHigher in declination
Explanation
The stellar magnitude scale runs backward: smaller numbers are brighter. A 1st-magnitude star is bright; a 6th-magnitude star is at the naked-eye limit. Very bright bodies (Sirius, Venus) have negative magnitudes. The Almanac lists magnitudes to help identify and select bodies.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9)
Practice the full Celestial Navigation bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2550 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Celestial Navigation questions
- Time
The Nautical Almanac tabulates the positions of celestial bodies against which time standard?
- Time
A vessel in west longitude has a zone description of +5. To convert zone time to UT you must:
- Coordinates
How is the GHA of a star obtained from the Nautical Almanac?
- Coordinates
Sidereal Hour Angle (SHA) is best defined as:
- Coordinates
Declination of a celestial body is the celestial equivalent of:
- The Nautical Almanac
Approximately how fast does the GHA of the Sun increase with time?