Product
Limitations
What LightCurve does not model, and where to be careful.
Physics
Section titled “Physics”- Other bands than V are derived from V with band-averaged material colours, not a spectral rendering; measured BRDF tables stay grey.
- The object is unresolved and assumed tracked: no trail, no scintillation.
- Moonlight does not light the satellite; earthshine is not shadowed by the satellite itself.
- From orbit: no stray light from the Earth or the Sun beyond the exclusion angles; uniform space background.
Models
Section titled “Models”- The “known” models are simplified geometries: realistic orders of magnitude, not a prediction to a tenth of a magnitude. See Validation — in particular, Starlink’s brightness mitigation is not modelled.
- DISCOS shapes derive the appendages from the span and the largest cross-section; composite bodies use assumed proportions.
- Imported CAD parts are fixed (no Sun-tracking arrays).
- Measured BRDF tables use the bivariate (θh, θd) approximation: a strongly anisotropic BRDF (brushed metal, woven fabric) is not represented.
Geometry
Section titled “Geometry”- Outside orbit mode, the 24-hour curve keeps the satellite fixed in the sky of the station (realistic for a GEO).
- Flashes are searched at the step of the 24-hour curve: two flashes closer than one step can merge.
Analysis
Section titled “Analysis”- The automatic fit finds a local minimum; with few measurements, albedo and attitude can compensate each other.
- The attitude-state classification is reliable for rotation and stabilisation; over a few minutes, tumbling often looks regular.
- Loaded files — CAD, OEM, AEM, TDM, observations, measured BRDFs, DISCOS exports — are not kept in the shared link.