Light curve

Example of a light curve; here the asteroid (250) Bettina .

The light curve of an astronomical object is the graph that shows the dependence of luminosity on time . Conclusions about the properties of the observed object can be drawn from changes in the luminosity, which is measured as apparent brightness .

In the case of variable stars , the classification is essentially based on the light curves. The eclipsing binaries which are minimums and with pulsating variables stars and the eruptive variables , the Maxima to determine the period used.

Using the light curve of asteroids (minor planets), which are often irregularly shaped bodies, the duration of their rotation and their shape can be determined. If one of these small bodies is sometimes covered by the earth's moon , its diameter can be calculated from the duration of the fall of light.

Many of the exoplanets detected were identified by the star occultation method by analyzing the light curve. A minimal, periodic decrease in the luminosity of a star is observed.

literature

• C. Hoffmeister , G. Richter, W. Wenzel: Variable stars . 1990, ISBN 3-335-00224-5 .
• C. Sterken, C. Jaschek: Light Curves of Variable Stars: A Pictorial Atlas , 2005. ISBN 978-0521020244

Individual evidence

1. ^ CI Lagerkvist, H. Rickman: The spin periods of M asteroids , Moon and the Planets 24: 437-440 (1981). bibcode : 1981M & P .... 24..437L
2. ↑ Josef Durech et al .: Shape models of asteroids based on lightcurve observations with BlueEye600 robotic observatory, 2017, arXiv : 1707.03637v1