Enter either the luminosity or the mass into the calculator to determine the missing variable.

Luminosity To Mass Calculator

Enter either Luminosity or Mass to calculate the missing variable

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Luminosity to Mass Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the luminosity (L) for a given mass (M). 

L = M^{3.5}

Variables:

  • L is the luminosity
  • M is the mass

To calculate the luminosity, raise the mass to the power of 3.5. Conversely, to find the mass from the luminosity, raise the luminosity to the power of 1/3.5.

Luminosity (L☉) to Mass (M☉) Conversion Table (Approx. L ∝ M^3.5)
Luminosity (L☉) Mass (M☉)
0.010.269
0.020.327
0.050.425
0.080.487
0.100.518
0.200.632
0.300.709
0.500.820
0.800.939
11.000
1.51.122
21.219
31.368
51.585
81.811
101.931
202.356
503.058
1003.727
10007.197
Uses the main-sequence approximation: L/L☉ = (M/M☉)^3.5. Reference constants: 1 L☉ ≈ 3.828×10^26 W; 1 M☉ ≈ 1.9885×10^30 kg.

What is Luminosity?

Luminosity is a measure of the total amount of energy emitted by a star, galaxy, or other astronomical object per unit of time. It is an intrinsic property that does not depend on the distance from the observer. Luminosity is often expressed in terms of the luminosity of the Sun (L☉), which is approximately 3.828 x 10^26 watts. The relationship between luminosity and mass is particularly important in astrophysics, as it helps in understanding the life cycles of stars and their energy outputs.

How to Calculate Luminosity?

The following steps outline how to calculate the luminosity from the mass of a star.

  1. First, determine the mass of the star (M).
  2. Next, use the formula L = M^3.5 to calculate the luminosity.
  3. Finally, verify your result using the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

Mass (M) = 2 solar masses

Using the formula L = M^3.5, the luminosity would be L = 2^3.5 = 11.3137 solar luminosities.