Flux to Luminosity Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate Luminosity (L) is:

\[ \text{L} = 4 \times \pi \times \text{d}^2 \times \text{F} \]

Where:

\( \text{L} \) is the Luminosity (watts)
\( \text{F} \) is the Observed Flux (watts per square meter)
\( \text{d} \) is the Distance from the Object (parsecs)

What is Luminosity?

Luminosity is the total amount of energy emitted by an object, such as a star or galaxy, per unit of time. It is an intrinsic property that does not depend on the object’s distance from the observer. Luminosity is a fundamental parameter used in astronomy to understand the nature and evolution of celestial bodies.

Example Calculation

Let's consider an example:

Observed Flux (F): 3.0 × 10^-8 watts/m²
Distance (d): 10 parsecs

Using the formula to calculate the Luminosity:

\[ \text{L} = 4 \times \pi \times (10 \times 3.086 \times 10^{16})^2 \times 3.0 \times 10^{-8} \approx 1.2 \times 10^{28} \, \text{watts} \]

This demonstrates that with an observed flux of 3.0 × 10^-8 watts/m² and a distance of 10 parsecs, the luminosity of the object would be approximately 1.2 × 10²⁸ watts.