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Showing results for light curve. Search instead for light source.

light curve

American  

noun

Astronomy.
  1. a graph showing variations in brightness of celestial objects over time.


Etymology

Origin of light curve

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The intervals between these fluctuations became progressively shorter, creating four distinct bumps in the light curve.

From Science Daily Jul. 6, 2026

"The infrared light curve was the complete opposite of the visible light," Tzanidakis said.

From Science Daily Mar. 11, 2026

This allows the researchers to computationally progress the initial 3D structure of a hotspot over time as it orbits the black hole to create a whole light curve.

From Science Daily Apr. 22, 2024

This is reflected in the light curve as a regularly recurring drop in brightness.

From Science Daily Apr. 12, 2024

M. H. E. Lau finds that the short-period variable star δ Cephei varies slightly in colour as well as in light, and that the colour curve is parallel to the light curve.

From Astronomical Curiosities Facts and Fallacies by J. Ellard Gore

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