(idea) by Dialogue Sun Nov 14 1999 at 9:02:25
Apparent magnitude is a term used when refering to a star's brightness as observed from the Earth.The lower the magnitude, the brighter the star.

Some sample apparent magnitudes:
Proxima Centauri: +11.0
Alpha Centauri: -0.9
Barnard's Star: +9.5

I like it!