Calculating Luminosity from Brightness: Where Did I Go Wrong?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the luminosity of Gliese 581 using its brightness and the equation F = (L/(4*pi*r^2)). The user has the flux value as 11.6 but is unsure of its units, which is crucial for accurate calculations. It is pointed out that the flux must be in watts per square meter (W/m²) for the equation to work properly. The user seeks guidance on converting the absolute brightness of 11.6 into the correct flux units. Clarifying the units is essential for arriving at the correct luminosity value.
bearsfan654
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hello,

I've been trying to solve for the luminosity of Gliese 581 using its brightness. I've been using the equation below:

WkICx65.gif


F = (L/(4*pi*r^2))

I have the flux as the absolute brightness of Gliese 581, which is 11.6. The distance, r, to the star is 1.89210568 × 10^17 meters. However, when I input all of that into the equation, I get 5.21 * 10^36 watts. That does not seem even close to the correct answer, which should be about 6.38 * 10^24 watts. What did I do wrong?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
bearsfan654 said:
F = (L/(4*pi*r^2)) I have the flux as the absolute brightness of Gliese 581, which is 11.6.
In which units?
bearsfan654 said:
The distance, r, to the star is 1.89210568 × 10^17 meters. However, when I input all of that into the equation, I get 5.21 * 10^36 watts. That does not seem even close to the correct answer, which should be about 6.38 * 10^24 watts. What did I do wrong?
You need F in units if W/mˇ2
How do you get that?
Because that "absolute brightness 11,6" is in different units - not W/m2.
 
How can I convert the absolute brightness of 11.6 into flux?
 
Is a homemade radio telescope realistic? There seems to be a confluence of multiple technologies that makes the situation better than when I was a wee lad: software-defined radio (SDR), the easy availability of satellite dishes, surveillance drives, and fast CPUs. Let's take a step back - it is trivial to see the sun in radio. An old analog TV, a set of "rabbit ears" antenna, and you're good to go. Point the antenna at the sun (i.e. the ears are perpendicular to it) and there is...
3I/ATLAS, also known as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and formerly designated as A11pl3Z, is an iinterstellar comet. It was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station at Río Hurtado, Chile on 1 July 2025. Note: it was mentioned (as A11pl3Z) by DaveE in a new member's introductory thread. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/brian-cox-lead-me-here.1081670/post-7274146 https://earthsky.org/space/new-interstellar-object-candidate-heading-toward-the-sun-a11pl3z/ One...
Back
Top