We are excited to announce the release of Astro-COLIBRI v2.26.0 (January 28, 2026). This update brings again significant improvements to the user interface, powerful new science tools for observation planning, and expanded language support.
Here are the highlights of this release:
Key New Features
Multi-Language Support & Easy Login
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Google Authentication: You can now create an account or log in directly using your Google credentials.
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Multiple Languages: The interfaces are now available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Please keep an eye out for strange (or missing) translations and let us know by dropping us an email at astro.colibri@gmail.com
Advanced Observation Planning (tilepy)
We have further improved our integration with tilepy.
- Expanded Support: Observation plans for large uncertainty regions are now available for GRBs detected by Fermi-GBM and high-energy neutrinos from IceCube (in addition to GWs).
- Configuration: A new screen allows you to configure major parameters to fine-tune your observation planning requests.
- Interactive Maps: Selected tiles are now highlighted on both the skymap and the data table. You can also update plans by removing specific tiles from the list.
Host Galaxy Cross Matching
Complementing the Wise color-color diagram, we have introduced a powerful cross-matching tool:
- Catalog Search: Match event positions with catalogs of galaxies or astrophysical sources via VIZIER.
- Customization: Define your search radius and choose from a range of catalogs (or define your own VIZIER-supported catalog).
- Deep Dive: Jump directly to SIMBAD for details on found sources or download your results for offline analysis.
New Default Notifications
To ensure you don’t miss major events, we have added default notification subscriptions for all users. Note: These can be disabled in your user settings at any time.
- Nearby SNe: The top 1% closest supernovae (~20 notifications/year).
- Special Targets: Rare events like the expected explosion of T CrB or Galactic supernovae (<1 notification/year).
- Astro-COLIBRI News: Special announcements regarding the platform (at most a few notifications/year).
Improvements & Fixes
Interface & Skymap:
- Web Interface Flexibility: Skymap width is more flexible, with options to switch between elliptical/round skyviews and normal/table-like info views via the map settings panel.
- Localization Contours: Now displayed on the main skymap, not just after cone searches.
- Reset Filters: A new button allows you to quickly reset filters to default settings.
- The status bar in the web interface is now interactive, pointing to the relevant information like user login and account settings.
- Lightcurve Monitoring: A new system monitors the progression of lightcurve generation. Please note that this results in a
breaking change for the relevant API endpoint (/lightcurve). If you use the lightcurve generation programmatically, please review your integration.
Data & Filters:
- Updated Observatory Filters: New colors, added Einstein Probe, identified radio observatories, and a grouped filter for high-energy observatories.
- New Notices: Support for IceCube astrotrack notices and retraction notices from SVOM.
- Provenance: Added GCN and FLaapLUC to the list of identified brokers.
- Parameters: Added discovery_flux_band to store the discovery filter/band (request by @FredDJN: API magnitudes).
Documentation & API:
- Archival Data: Added an option to retrieve full event information from an archival dataset via the /event endpoint.
- Usage Stats: An overview of usage evolution and user origins is now available in the documentation. Astro-COLIBRI