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It really depends on the units used. Sometimes the Sun is used as a comparison for the brightness of other stars, or even galaxies - in this case, the Sun's luminosity is arbitrarily defined as 1, and a star that is 10 times brighter will have luminosity 10, for example. However, if you use other units, for example watts, you get quite different numbers (3.846×1026 watts for the Sun, according to the Wikipedia).

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12y ago

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The sun has a luminosity of 1 because it serves as the reference point for defining stellar luminosities in astronomy. Luminosity is a measure of the total energy output of a star per unit time, and it is compared to the sun's luminosity using a scale where 1 solar luminosity is equal to the sun's own luminosity. This standardization allows astronomers to compare the brightness and energy output of other stars relative to the sun.

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10mo ago
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Q: Why does the sun have a luminosity of 1?
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