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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:

A tilted accretion disk around a black hole could also create bumps in the light curve.

From Science Daily Jul. 6, 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

Researchers define a light curve as a measurement of the brightness of a star over a longer period of time.

From Science Daily Apr. 12, 2024

"As with other stars orbited by exoplanets, the observed light curve of WASP-39 is flatter than previous models can explain," she adds.

From Science Daily Apr. 12, 2024

Thus the light curve and the spectroscopic velocity curve are very similar in shape, but one is like the other turned upside down.

From Astronomical Curiosities Facts and Fallacies by Gore, J. Ellard

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