A blue-color-emitting phosphor, (Sr(1-x),Ba(x))(3)MgSi(2)O(8):Eu(2+) (SB(x)MS:Eu(2+)), with various Ba contents, was synthesized, and its thermal stability was evaluated. Depending upon the Ba content, the dominant emission wavelength of the SB(x)MS:Eu(2+) phosphor could be tuned, and good photoluminescence (PL) properties were obtained under an excitation by a 147 nm source. The PL behavior showed that the thermal stability of SB(x)MS:Eu(2+) baked at 500 degrees C was dependent upon the Ba content. On the basis of the results of electron spin resonance on Eu(2+) and Rietveld refinement against neutron powder diffraction data of the phosphor, it was found that the improved thermal stability of SB(x)MS:Eu(2+) could be ascribed to Eu(2+) occupying preferred Sr sites among three possible locations depending upon the amount of Ba substitution. It is also inferred from this observation that the average interatomic distances between Eu(2+) and O (d(Eu-O)) of the different Sr sites may play an important role in the thermal stability of the phosphor.