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Luminosity is an absolute measure of radiated electromagnetic energy per unit time, and is synonymous with the radiant power emitted by a light-emitting object. [1] [2] In astronomy, luminosity is the total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted per unit of time by a star, galaxy, or other astronomical objects. [3] [4]
It is a function of the star's luminosity, its distance from Earth, the extinction effect of interstellar dust and gas, and the altering of the star's light as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. Intrinsic or absolute magnitude is directly related to a star's luminosity, and is the apparent magnitude a star would be if the distance between ...
Stability, luminosity, and lifespan are all factors in stellar habitability. Humans know of only one star that hosts life, the G-class Sun, a star with an abundance of heavy elements and low variability in brightness. The Solar System is also unlike many stellar systems in that it only contains one star (see Habitability of binary star systems).
The star increases in luminosity towards the tip of the red-giant branch. Red-giant-branch stars with a degenerate helium core all reach the tip with very similar core masses and very similar luminosities, although the more massive of the red giants become hot enough to ignite helium fusion before that point.
Thus, from the Stefan–Boltzmann law, the luminosity is related to the surface temperature T S, and through it to the color of the star, by = where σ B is Stefan–Boltzmann constant, 5.67 × 10 −8 W m −2 K −4. The luminosity is equal to the total energy produced by the star per unit time.
For a star in equilibrium, the thermal energy generated at the core must be at least equal to the energy radiated at the surface. Since the luminosity gives the amount of energy radiated per unit time, the total life span can be estimated, to first approximation, as the total energy produced divided by the star's luminosity. [47]
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L ★ is the star's luminosity (bolometric luminosity) in watts; L 0 is the zero point luminosity 3.0128 × 10 28 W; M bol is the bolometric magnitude of the star; The new IAU absolute magnitude scale permanently disconnects the scale from the variable Sun.