The apparent magnitude a star would have if placed at a standard distance of 10 parsecs (32.6 light-years) from Earth. This measure allows direct comparison of stellar intrinsic brightness regardless of distance.
From Latin 'absolutus' (complete, unrestricted) and 'magnitudo' (greatness), coined in the early 20th century as astronomers developed methods to determine stellar distances and separate intrinsic brightness from distance effects.
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