Are the brightest stars low magnitude or high magnitude?

The magnitude numbers go opposite to brightness.

Bright things have low magnitude numbers, and dim things have high magnitude numbers.

- - The dimmest stars a person can see with only his eyes and no optical equipment are around magnitude 6.

- - Polaris (the 'North Star') is almost exactly magnitude 2.

- - The full moon is around magnitude - 12.

- - The sun is magnitude - 27.

Each magnitude is a change of 2.154 times, brighter if it's one magnitude lower, or dimmer if it's one magnitude higher.

(I know you're curious to know where that number comes from, but don't ask. It's another whole story.)

brightest stars are low magnitude.