light curve
noun
: a graph showing the variation in brightness of a celestial object (such as a variable star) over a period of time
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Astronomers posited that this could be caused by an orbiting exomoon that sometimes trails and sometimes leads the planet itself during their mutual transit, changing the light curve’s shape.
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Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The multi-wavelength light curves, like stock market graphs for a star's brightness, showed a clear sequence.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
The peak in each light curve would be tagged with a precise time.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2013
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Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
The multi-wavelength light curves, like stock market graphs for a star's brightness, showed a clear sequence.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
The peak in each light curve would be tagged with a precise time.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2013
See All Example Sentences for light curve
Cite this Entry
“Light curve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20curve. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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