Normalized Light Curve

The Normalized Light Curve property of an object represents the fraction of its light that can be seen by the camera. For a star with no other objects between the star and the camera, the Normalized Light Curve will be equal to one. Any object blocking part of the light from the star will decrease the Normalized Light Curve. If the object is not a star, the Normalized Light Curve will be zero. This is a read-only property that is automatically calculated by Universe Sandbox.

This property is called a "light curve" as a reference to the common exoplanet detection technique known as transit photometry. In this method, astronomers measure the amount of light coming from a star over time, constructing a plot of light vs. time, or a "light curve". An exoplanet orbiting at the right angle relative to the observer will pass between the star and the telescope, causing a dip in the light curve. In Universe Sandbox, the user can simulation this technique by using the Graph option for the Normalized Light Curve property.

Location
The Normalized Light Curve property is located in the Camera Relative section of the Motion tab of an object's properties panel.