Light curves can be periodic , as in the case of eclipsing binaries , Cepheid variables , other periodic variables , and transiting extrasolar planets , or aperiodic , like the light curve of a nova , a cataclysmic variable star , a supernova or a microlensing event .
Examples include the light curve of a nova , a cataclysmic variable star , a supernova or a microlensing event .