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date: 07 February 2025

Malmquist bias 

Source:
A Dictionary of Astronomy
Author(s):

Ian Ridpath

A statistical selection effect that arises in astronomical surveys that are complete to some apparent magnitude limit. At large distances from the observer, only objects that are intrinsically luminous can be seen. Nearer the observer, objects with average or below-average luminosity can also be seen. The statistical properties of the sample therefore depend on distance from the observer in a complicated way. This form of bias, first described in ... ...

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