These are measured light curves, replayed at an accelerated pace. The glowing stars are visual representations: their sizes, colours, surface texture, depth and positions are illustrative, and glow contrast is amplified independently for each target.
“Trace this light” is a presentational transition: existing sampled observations move from the selected light into their measured chart positions. Their travel paths are not scientific trajectories. Axes return when the points have settled. Calm view removes this transfer, cycle animation and pointer parallax.
At 1× speed each source window is replayed in 24 seconds; slower speeds extend that presentation time. These observations were taken at different times; the lights do not represent a simultaneous sky.
Charts show brightness relative to each star’s median. Cycle stacking moves observations by their phase within the stated period, with a short visual delay between cycles; measured brightness stays fixed. The white line is a median of real measurements in phase bins, not a fitted physical model. Point colours distinguish consecutive cycles.