In
astronomy, a
light curve is a graph of light intensity of a
celestial object or region, as a function of time. The light is usually in a particular frequency interval or band. Light curves can be periodic, as in the case of
eclipsing binaries,
Cepheid variables, other periodic variables, and transiting
extrasolar planets, or
aperiodic, like the light curve of a
nova, a
cataclysmic variable star, a
supernova or a
microlensing event. The study of the light curve, together with other observations, can yield considerable information about the physical process that produces it or constrain the physical theories about it. Light waves can also be used in
botany to determine a plant's reactions to light intensities.