Light Curves Fact
Light Curves
The values of flux given by astronomers for X-ray sources are the values measured at the top of the Earth's atmosphere. The units for flux which are often used are ergs/cm2/sec, with the energy range of the observation provided as well. The observed flux is a measure of the brightness (or intrinsic luminosity) of the source, with the relationship being:
where d is the distance to the source.