The initial magnitude scale was established by Greek astronomer Hipparchus around 135 B.C.E., categorizing approximately 850 stars into six ranges from 1st (brightest) to 6th (faintest) magnitude.

An earthquake rattled much of the Northeast on Friday morning, with shaking felt across the New York City metropolitan area and in communities from Baltimore and Philadelphia up through New England.

If someone asks you, “How bright is that star?” and your answer is “Pretty bright,” that isn’t very useful. And, of course, it’s worthless for any type of comparative research. So for centuries, ...

What does “moment magnitude” mean, and how do scientists determine the strength of a rupture in the earth? By Henry Fountain Henry Fountain spent a quarter century covering science for The Times. He ...

Earthquake strength is registered on the moment magnitude scale, which measures how much energy was released when the rocks along a fault moved during the quake. By Henry Fountain Earthquake strength ...

Earthquakes are becoming increasingly frequent. On Sunday morning, four earthquakes struck parts of India, Myanmar, and Tajikistan within just one hour, sending tremors across central and South Asia.