Hello Astro-COLIBRI Community!
We are thrilled to announce the official release of v2.29.0. This update brings a massive set of new features to both our web and mobile platforms, highlighted by the integration of the Nuclear Physics and Multi-Messenger Astronomy (NMMA) framework for light-curve fitting.
Here is a breakdown of what’s new and improved:
Key Highlights
- NMMA Integration (Kilonova/Supernova Fitting): You can now submit fully configurable fits of various SN/KN models to photometric light curves directly via our new cloud-based API at nmma.live.
- Interface Updates: In science mode, look out for the new fold-out NMMA section on the web and a dedicated tab in the side menu on mobile.
- Visual Results: View and download Astro-COLIBRI-styled photometric light curves with the fit results, alongside a full corner plot of all derived parameters, JSON files with the input and results, etc.
- Management: No need to wait for the modelling fit to fnish: you can come back later and easily browse your past fits via the new “NMMA Job History” in the user menu.
- Enhanced Visibility Assessment:
- A brand-new visibility timeline graphic and map is now available in non-science mode, alongside an easy to use observatory selection map. The latter also provides access to information about each of observatories.
- Visibility plots now explicitly show the time of detection of the transient.
- Custom observatories are now included in the multi-observatory plot and can thus be used for campaign planning.
- We have also added all sites for the Las Cumbres Observatory and the CAHA observatory.
- Stellar Flares Notification Stream: Stay updated with new announcements of X-ray and optical flares from stars observed for example by the Einstein Probe and the LAST (Large Array Survey Telescope) network.
Data, Alerts & Filtering Updates
- BOOM Cross-Matches: Added support for alerts produced by BOOM. ZTF and LSST alerts are cross-matched with gravitational-wave candidates (BNS/NSBH mergers) and GRBs detected by Fermi, SVOM, and Swift.
- BALROG Reconstructions: Full support for BALROG reconstructions of Fermi-GBM GRBs announced via GCN circulars (including observations plans provided by tilepy). You can use a new sub-filter for Fermi to de-select these events if needed.
- AAVSO Photometry: Added photometric measurements by amateur astronomers around the world and collected by the AAVSO to the light curve and CSV exports. B, V, R, and I bands are used by default, with an option to include all available filters.
- Smart Filtering & UI Tweaks:
- Events with the same name are now neatly grouped in a stack of event cards.
- New event type filter group: “MWL + MM” for alerts created from multi-wavelength and multi-messenger correlations.
- New figures for Swift-BAT GRBs showing fluence distribution and peak photon flux vs. fluence compared to archival data.
Performance & Bug Fixes
- Speed Up: Faster app startup times, quicker loading of events via deeplinks, and optimized loading for watchlists, planets, moon, and sun characteristics.
- Data Streaming: Now listening to GCN circulars via Kafka stream for instantaneous updates.
- Live status: Calculations that may take longer, like the NMMA fitting or an observation plan optimized by tilepy, can now be followed via live status updates.
- Solar Activity & Aurora: Added more comprehensive data for solar activity and aurora forecasts (plus a variable sun color indicator to reflect activity levels).
- Bug Fixes: Resolved missing events and black screen issues when loading via Augmented Reality deeplinks, fixed color theme issues on the light curve figure, improved DM (dispersion measure) value formatting for FRBs on mobile devices, and many more behind-the-scences updates.
Explore the Update
The update is already available on the web interface and the iOS and Android app stores. Update your apps and head over to Astro-COLIBRI to test out the new NMMA fitting tool and let us know your feedback in the comments below!
Clear skies,
The Astro-COLIBRI Team