Bolometric Magnitude Calculator
Bolometric Magnitude
Calculate the bolometric magnitude of a star from its visual magnitude and bolometric correction, giving total luminosity across all wavelengths.
Formula
m_bol = m_v + BC; M_bol = m_bol - 5 x log10(d / 10); L / L_sun = 10^((4.74 - M_bol) / 2.5)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bolometric magnitude?
Bolometric magnitude measures the total energy output of a star across all wavelengths of light, not just the visible portion. It gives a more complete picture of a star total luminosity.
What is the bolometric correction?
The bolometric correction is the difference between visual magnitude and bolometric magnitude. It accounts for light emitted outside the visible spectrum, such as ultraviolet and infrared radiation.
Why is the bolometric correction always negative or zero?
By convention, the bolometric correction is defined so that bolometric magnitude is always brighter (lower number) than visual magnitude, since total flux across all wavelengths cannot be less than just the visible flux.