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Bolometric correction is a difference between a star's visual magnitude and bolometric magnitude; when the former is determined, the bolometric correction can be used to determine the latter:
BC = Mbol-Mv
It varies by type of star, e.g., spectral type, and is largest for stars much hotter or cooler than the Sun because the EMR from stars of the Sun's temperature is centered around visible light. Some examples of bolometric correction determinations:
| O3 star | -4.3 for a main sequence star | -4.2 for a giant |
| G0 star | -0.10 for a main sequence star | -0.13 for a giant |
| M0 star | -1.21 for a main sequence star | -1.28 for a giant |