Space Apps is an event NASA hosts every year in which participants & their teams spend a weekend scrambling to write code to complete a challenge.
Team Sam Sucks (us) selected the light curve challenge.
In order to fulfill the requirements, the team developed a web-app which produces light curves from Earth's perspective for objects orbiting the sun.
The app allows a user to select a model from a drop down menu, enter generic settings for the simulation including orbital period and the radius
of orbit (using simplified, circular orbits) as well as the rotational speed of the model, and finally scaling settings for the simulation window.
A simulation is produced and displayed. The light intensity from the object is calculated based on pixel brightness,
and is made available for the user to plot and view at any point during the sim.