Astro-COLIBRI

Version 2.22.0 (2025-03-26)

• Added the sun and moon positions
• Enable the display of the sun and moon positions in the “Map & coordinates settings”
• Retrieve the position of the sun and moon in celestial and local coordinates via the new "/celestial_position" endpoint in the API
• New notification stream announcing well localized gamma-ray bursts, i.e. a subset of GRBs with uncertainties <= 10arcmin
• New sub-filter for GRBs allowing to select well localized bursts
• Added the Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope to the pre-defined observatories
• Dedicated interface for submission of H.E.S.S. ToOs
• Minor changes and bug fixes
• The web interface now adapts better to smaller screens or lower resolutions
• The menu screens in the App version now also have a header and a return button in landscape mode of the App
• Email registration with more than 4 characters in the domain name are now also accepted
• Improved handling of color schemes
• changed colors of close/cancel buttons if they are not the primary buttons. Buttons are now more uniform
• adapted TimePicker and DatePicker color scheme to Astro-COLIBRI
• adapted login screens to different color schemes

Version 2.21.0 (2025-03-04)

• Added transients registered via the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT),
• Added SVOM notices announcing GRBs detected by the ECLAIRs instrument
• Added alerts on gravitational waves from mergers including at least one sub-solar mass object
• API changes:
• The endpoint to calculate the source visibility (“/visibility_plots_detailed”) now returns the detailed parameters of the visibility windows; this information is also accessible via the web frontend
• Added a new endpoint for the TeVCat and Fermi-LAT 4FGL catalogs, allowing the user to search by parameter or by cone search ("/tevcat" & "/fermi"); see this interactive notebook for details
• Added a new page to our website documenting our public events & outreach activities
• Enabled user configuration of new TOMs. TOMs (incl. the existing integration of BHTOM) are now dynamically handled in frontend and backend.
• Minor changes and bug fixes
• Event search in the web interface now allows to load the time period around the selected event
• Added option to change the value for the default reset time by long pressing the reset timeline button
• Added MOJAVE url for covered TeVCat and 4FGL AGN sources
• Added information indicating events followed within the Kilonova-Catcher network + new filter allowing to select these events

Version 2.20.1 (2025-01-24)

• Fixed a bug preventing autocompletion of source names in light mode (web)
• Added a loading indicator for cone searches (web)
• Added ToO submission for H.E.S.S. members (web)

Version 2.20.0 (2025-01-22)

• New search button added to the top row of the web interface
• Improved interface: now also working in landscape mode on smartphones and tablets
• Light vs science mode:
• New main switch between “light” and “science” mode in top row of the web interface
• Cleaner interface in light mode with easier to grasp information and less technical details
• Added a watchlist (registered users):
• Selected events will be displayed in the skymap and latest transients list independent of the filter settings or time period
• New features for TeVCat and 4FGL catalogs
• Additional parameters displayed for all 4FGL and TeVCat sources
• New filters for 4FGL and TeVCat sources
• Minor changes and bug fixes
• Default time period reduced to 7 days, configurable via the user settings (registered users)
• Number of selected events shown at the bottom of the event list
• New fields in the events (JSON format): image_urls: a dictionary pointing to additional figure for some events
• New figure added to all neutrino alerts and all entries of the IceCat-1 catalog
• Added distance filter for gravitational wave events
• Added confirmation check before submitting events to RAPAS and BHTOM
• Adapted to TNS v2.0
• Updated Tilepy integration to tilepy v2.5.0

Version 2.19.0 (2024-12-11)

• Improved optical lightcurves
• Combining multiple ATLAS observations
• Added upper limits (ATLAS and ZTF)
• Enabled custom lightcurves for arbitrary sky positions (i.e. independent of transient events)
• Enabled data from the RAPAS amateur astronomer network
• Updates of the TeVCat and 4FGL-DR4 catalogs
• TeVCat updated to latest version + 4FGL updated to DR4
• Added Beta vs Energy Peak plot for 4FGL sources with significance > 20
• Added Flux vs Spectral Index plot for TeVCat sources containing this information
• Minor changes and bug fixes
• Added button to download the information for the selected event in JSON format
• Team updated on the website
• Added link to the Lasair broker for transients detected by ZTF
• Improved requests to confidential information
• Added restricted group for CTAO/LST-1 (incl. submission of ToO requests)
• Various minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.18.0 (2024-10-31)

• Smart Home integration to enable visual alerts of incoming notifications
• Added all known classified optical transients available in the IAU database (Transient Name Server), previously our collection only started 01/2022
• Added new alert stream: IceCube searches for neutrino in coincidence with gravitational waves detected by LVK; notifications sent to the “neutrino” stream
• Added new catalogs to cone searches
• HMXB from HMXBwebcat
• LMXB from LMXBwebcat
• Minor changes and bug fixes
• Fixed color issues for the forum login screens
• Improved selection of a single day time range and the display of the timeline for short periods
• Added option to select the start time of the GW tiling schedule calculation
• Activated notifications for GRB notices from Einstein Probe

Version 2.17.1 (2024-09-07)

• Minor changes and bug fixes
• Submission of events to the RAPAS network is now using the correct user name
• Various minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.17.0 (2024-09-06)

• Added filters for instruments onboard major satellites: Swift, Fermi, SVOM
• Added alerts (via GCN/Kafka) from Einstein-Probe and Swift BAT-GUANO
• Minor changes
• fixing user filter modifications
• Various minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.16.0 (2024-07-29)

• API requests can now directly use the filter settings defined in the web/smartphone interfaces
• Extension of the /event endpoint to handle a list of events
• Top-10 events (compiled in collaboration with the Pro-Am network RAPAS) can now be downloaded
• Minor changes
• Lightcurves being updated more often (twice per day)
• Added link to the Xingming Sky Survey Project (XOSS)
• Various minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.15.0 (2024-07-15)

• Introducing optical lightcurves
• Daily updated lightcurves for recent optical transients
• Customized lightcurves using user-defined time ranges for all events
• Added localisation contours for IceCube Cascade events
• Added GRBs detected by the SVOM satellite
• Minor changes
• Improved sub-filters for classified optical transients
• Updated the Tilepy integration to v1.1.0
• improvements to layout and design
• Various minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.14.0 (2024-07-01)

• Introducing regular event updates from TNS
• Added change history to all events within Astro-COLIBRI
• Added date selection for tilepy scheduling, multi-observatory and longterm visibility
• Added GRB ToO observations by the H.E.S.S. high-energy gamma-ray observatory
• Minor changes
• New filter (within 'general') allowing to different follow-up networks
• Notifications sent with higher priority
• Added reset of date range to filtering in the app
• Reduced window around T CrB to reduce false alerts
• Bug fixes
• Event submissions to the RAPAS network
• Visibility figures not accessible for some smartphone users

Version 2.13.0 (2024-05-04)

• Introducing rate limits on the most computing and IO intensive endpoints (latest_transients and cone_search); see this forum post for details
• General filters: sources visible by the selected observatory, angular distance to the sun, retracted events, etc.
• Minor changes
• Use of GPT-4o for event descriptions
• Added Gemini North + South to observatories
• User defined duration of an observation for the tilepy scheduling plan of GW follow-ups
• Added direct link to scientific publications for each source on ADS/SciX
• Bug fixes
• Tilepy GW follow-up observation plans for radio observatories
• Display of GW events in timebar

Version 2.12.2 (2024-05-06)

• Added alerts stream for special targets: rare events that you don’t want to miss (e.g. the 2024 explosion of T CrB, a Galactic supernova, etc.)
• Added SNEWS supernova neutrino alerts: notifications sent to supernova, neutrino, Astro-COLIBRI announcements, and the new “special targets” stream
• Added user setting to adapt the precision of the displayed coordinates
• Bug fixes
• SuperKamiokande supernova neutrino alerts
• Observer location set from user settings
• Fixed crashes at startup of the interfaces

Version 2.12.1 (2024-04-23)

• Added Einstein Probe (WXT) detections
• Bug fixes
• Observatory filters

Version 2.12.0 (2024-04-17)

• Additional filtering options for gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos
• Event descriptions via OpenAI/GPT-4
• Minor changes
• Events followed by Kilonova-Catcher (KNC) identified
• Improved tracking of app crashes
• New style for the app onboarding
• Bug fixes
• Synchronization and backup of filter settings
• Download of events in cone search
• Wrong error message during BHTOM submission

Version 2.11.0 (2024-03-15)

• Added support for the RAPAS network (submission of interesting events from the frontends + weekly list of most interesting transient posted in the Astro-COLIBRI forum)
• Added support for the BHTOM network (submission of interesting events from the frontends)
• Download the full filter settings defined in the interface as JSON file (science mode)
• Minor bug fixes and improvements
• Fixed opening of Unistellar deeplinks
• Added new event information: sun distance + follow-up campaigns
• Added support for multiple brokers (e.g. Ampel, Fink, etc.)
• Updated documentation

Version 2.10.0 (2024-02-28)

• Multi-observatory visibility plot: select multiple observatories around the world to efficiently plan your follow-up campaigns
• Opening the app from a notification now directly loads the announced event
• Introducing color schemes: choose between different schemes to customize the appearence of the interface

Version 2.9.1 (2024-01-19)

• first version of the Astro-COLIBRI GPT chatbot published
• bug fix: error circles in manual conse search
• improved performance of the web frontend in non-science mode

Version 2.9.0 (2024-01-15)

• Astro-COLIBRI discussion forum: https://forum.astro-colibri.science
• Exchanges about the latest events
• Helpdesk + direct contact with the developers
• Discussions of tools and equipement, astrophotography, fun stuff, ...
• New API endpoint “latest_transients” that allows to bulk download selected events, accessible via a new button in the web and mobile apps
• Changes to mobile interface
• Selected events are now illustrated with an image and their event type
• Enable toggle to show/hide external links
• Notification screen improved
• Minor bug fixes and improvements
• Fixed manual cone searches, rearranged widget and improved performance
• Naming and display of tilepy results fixed
• New notifications announcing well localized gravitational waves (90% area < 100deg2)
• Improved display of Unistellar citizen science events
• Added MeerKAT observatory
• Updated link to AAVSO with cone search in VSX
• Improved event descriptions

Version 2.8.0 (2023-11-17)

• New filtering system in the application and cone search API
• Added new events: optical transients directly after their detection, i.e. without waiting for their classification

Version 2.7.1 (2023-11-08)

• Cone searches around GRBs detected by Fermi-GBM now show the 50 and 90% contours of the GRB localisation (science mode)

Version 2.7.0 (2023-09-27)

• Improved the “science mode” and enabled it on the mobile apps
• Support for deeplinks
• An URL that contains the Astro-COLIBRI identifier allows to load a selected event
• Enables sharing of events (e.g. social media, exchanges with colleagues, etc.)
• If installed, the app loads instead of the web frontend when receiving a deeplink on a smartphone
• New pop-up window in the notification screen when notifications are disabled in the OS
• Minor improvements:
• Visibility plot now correctly handling event updates and multiple detections
• Improved event description text for Gw events
• Improved documentation of the API
• Improved and updated onboarding tutorial

Version 2.6.0 (2023-08-22)

• Added very bright SN candidates selected by the Unistellar Citizen Science program and the ALeRCE broker
• New notifications: “bright + early optical transients”
• Direct links to the Unistellar app to start follow-up observations
• Minor improvements:
• Private PanRadio group and notifications
• Added redding due to dust absorption and link to NED extinction calculator

Version 2.5.3 (2023-07-24)

• Link to new FINK API endpoint for cone searches within GW contours
• Bug fixes:
• Custom observatory selection working again
• GW contour are now displayed when selecting a scheduling tile

Version 2.5.2 (2023-07-08)

• New filtering of gravitational wave events
• Significant GW events
• Non-significant GW events
• Improved API documentation

Version 2.5.1 (2023-07-04)

• Gravitational wave follow-up
• Fixed loading of GW contours
• Dedicated configuration for GW scheduling with H.E.S.S.
• Improved account deletion procedure

Version 2.5.0 (2023-06-20)

• Gravitational wave follow-up
• https://tilepy.com
• new cloud-based API to calculate optimized follow-up schedule
• access from web and mobile frontends
• results integrated in event list and map
• Improved definition of custom observatories + more parameters
• Minor improvements and bug fixes

Version 2.4.2 (2023-05-31)

• Bug fix: notifications on Android 13
• Additional minor fixes
• GWs: display of maps, notifications
• Flexible custom observatory names
• FLaapLUC alerts

Version 2.4.1 (2023-05-24)

• Added IceCat-1 to cone search results
• Improved links to external platforms
• Reordered and shorter list for non-science mode
• Added link to TreasureMap (GW follow-up)
• Improved observability assessment
• added dedicated calculation for Victor M. Blanco telescope
• filename now contains the source name
• fixed bug related to custom observer location names
• Various minor bug fixes and improvements

Version 2.4.0 (2023-04-26)

• Improved user management and sign-up screens
• Use of GPS location for the observability assessment
• Searching for events via the manual cone search window now returns the full event information
• Preparations for the O4 gravitational wave observation run
• New notification streams for ‘significant alerts’ + ‘NS/NSBH events’
• More event parameters displayed
• Minor improvements and bug fixes
• Improved selection of GBM lightcurves
• Update to new NASA/GCN circular system

Version 2.3.0 (2023-03-10)

• Improved performance of the frontend
• Enabled “click and drag” of the maps in both the web and mobile frontends
• Enabled zooming of images in mobile app
• Added localisation uncertainties of archival sources (e.g. 4FGL)
• Added GBM lightcurves
• Bug fixes
• Fink cone search radius updated
• Link to AAVSO improved

Version 2.2.0 (2023-01-27)

• new VoEvent architecture (performance improvements + future proof / easier extensions + new functionalities)
• new API endpoint "event" to retrieve the Astro-COLIBRI information on an event
• improved documention of the API incl. an interactive tutorial: API documentation
• improved calculation of the observability figure (speed improvement allowing higher resolution of 1min, easier maintenance, etc.)
• new observatories: Parkes, CTA/LST
• improved notifications (identification of event updates, improved format, etc.)
• new alert stream: GRB detections by GECAM
• added IceCube event displays (if available)
• preparations of the O4 run of the gravitational wave interferometers
• Bug fixes:
  • visibility windows missing on the observability plot in some (rare) cases
  • re-enabled non-https urls on mobile devices

Version 2.1.2 (2022-12-21)

• Added VoEvent archive (XML and JSON format, accessible in the web frontend and via a new, public API endpoint 'voevent')
• New page highlighting a few use cases added to landing page: Usage examples
• Change of time range now directly affecting cone search results
• changed color for flares identified by FLaapLUC
• Bug fixes:
  • Filtering of cone search results (mobile devices)

Version 2.1.1 (2022-12-07)

• Improved creation of figures (bug fix + performance increase)
• New menu entry for contact and additional information in the mobile app
• Improved documentation of the public API endpoints
• Bug fixes:
  • Autocompletion of multiple detected sources
  • Contact email link on Android
  • Shifts in the timeline

Version 2.1.0. (2022-11-21)

• Improved performance: new cloud computing architecture + avoid recalculation of existing figures + reduced refreshes of the frontend
• Added a new alert stream: GeV flares from AGN detected by Fermi-LAT via the FLaapLUC pipeline (incl. new figures showing the latest results); see also FLaapLUC alerts
• Support for different coordinate systems (Ecliptic and Galactic) and different projections (Hammer-Aitoff, Mollweide, Mercator)
• Addition of a figure showing the Swift-XRT lightcurve for GRBs detected by Swift in the context of archival and VHE detected GRBs
• Added manual cone searches and ATEL search to the smartphone apps
• Various other improvements:
• Zoom in the latest transients map now triggers a cone search in that region
• Increased available archival transients: GRBs from Swift, Fermi and INTEGRAL since Jan/2016 + all public IceCube neutrino alerts + all public HAWC and IceCube-HAWC alerts
• Selection/deselection of all observatories or event types
• Added link to ZTF viewer ‘SNAD’ + ALeRCE + improved link to FINK
• Onboarding more interactive
• Improved API documentation

Version 2.0.2 (2022-10-07)

• Display of localisation uncertainties of all transients
• Performance improvements: building of main widget reduced + switch to Flutter 3
• Bug fix: manual cone searches

Version 2.0.1 (2022-09-16)

• Bug fix: manual cone searches

Version 2.0.0 (2022-09-01)

• Major upgrade of the web interface
• Timeline of events to visualize temporal correlations and facilitates choice of time period
• Combination of event filters and legend
• Links to external platforms shown as cards (incl. logos and short descriptions)
• Introduced “Science mode” switching between event descriptions and observability information
• Direct access to custom searches for sources in arbitrary sky locations
• Artists illustration of the different transient categories
• General improvements
• added direct links to the Living Swift-XRT Point Source catalogue
• Bug fixes
• Update of Swift alerts were not working as expected
• Various minor bug fixes and improvements

Version 1.4.2 (2022-06-10)

• Added search for ATELs
• Bug fix: event filtering in the web frontend
• Treatment of non-GRB alerts by Swift

Version 1.4.1 (2022-05-18)

• Event information improved: additional parameters displayed + link to ALADIN includes uncertainty region + link to AAVSO lightcurves + TACH/GCN viewer
• Selection of date for visibility plot possible
• New notification stream for bright (mag<18) optical transients
• Onboarding/tutorial for the mobile app
• Switch to and from the legend improved on mobile app

Version 1.4.0 (2022-03-07)

• Enabling the definition and management of custom observatories
• Updated source catalog to 4FGL-DR3 and latest TevCat
• Additional information (SNe alerts from the SuperK neutrino detector, access to SkyMapper images, new observatory locations, source redshift information, etc.)
• Various bug fixes (Horizontal scrolling of links; custom observatory locations on mobile frontends; Access to filter settings (issues for some users existed); GCN parser stability issues; etc.)

Version 1.3.0 (2022-01-10)

• Added optical transients (SNe, novae, CVs, etc.) incl. new notification streams
• Updated marker styles
• Improved search for sources (cf. manual cone search)
• Added various new links to external services: weather information, sky view, ASAS-SN, Pan-STARRS, Gaia

Version 1.2.1 (2021-11-03)

• Added a catalog of SGRs and AXPs to the cone search
• Several corner cases for the daily visibility plot fixed (e.g. darktime around noon UTC, observations covering several days)
• Transients highlighted in cone search results

Version 1.2.0 (2021-10-21)

• Merchandise shop
• Added description of transients for the general public
• Galactic plane added to sky maps
• Added direct link to the science portal of the Fink ZTF/LSST broker
• Check for existence of external links
• Removed Fermi-GBM flight notices
• Design and layouts improvements + minor bug fixes
• Mobile app: new settings menu
• Web app: re-organisation of visibility plots + display adapted to different screen sizes

Version 1.1.1 (2021-09-29)

• Fixed bug in user registration
• Setting event times to UTC

Version 1.1.0 (2021-09-21)

• Improved cone search that is flexible for future improvements
• Filter settings are now synchronized between devices

Version 1.0.0 (2021-08-17)

First public release (incl. first public Android and iOS applications)