Release Notes v2.25.0: Major Mobile UX Update, RAPAS Photometry & LAST Integration

Helpdesk + feature requests
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Dear Astro-COLIBRI community,

We are excited to announce the release of version 2.25.0! This update brings a significant overhaul to the mobile user interface to make navigation smoother during your observation runs, alongside powerful new data integrations for both professional and amateur astronomers.

Here is a deep dive into what is new:

:mobile_phone: Major Mobile App Overhaul

We have listened to your feedback and redesigned key parts of the mobile experience to be more intuitive:

  • Swipe Navigation: You can now seamlessly swipe between the main screens.
  • SkyMap Interactivity: Events on the SkyMap are now selectable directly from the map view. We also added manual Zoom buttons (toggleable via Map & Coordinate Settings).
  • New “Filters & Legends” Drawer: Access your filters quickly by swiping from the left edge of the screen (or via the Menu).
  • Redesigned Info Screen: We have improved the layout for better readability. Crucially, the right side of the screen is now interactive—swipe or click there to access additional data like photometry, external links, and observation requests.
  • Image Interaction: You can now enlarge any image with a simple press, or share it immediately with a long-press.
  • Tablets: We have specifically improved the layout for tablet users, giving you more space to view data.

:telescope: New Science & Data Integrations

We are expanding the dataset available to you with three key additions:

  1. RAPAS Pro-Am Network: Photometric observations from the RAPAS network are now available to all users. This data can be overlaid on lightcurve figures and is included in the data download packages.
  2. LAST Observatory Integration: We have fully integrated the Large Array Survey Telescope (LAST). This includes direct submission of events, plus specific broker and observatory filters for LAST.
  3. “Star” Event Class: We have added a dedicated class for stellar transient events, complete with its own set of filters and map icons.
  4. Astro-COLIBRI nameserver: All transients events registered within Astro-COLIBRI are now assigned a unique identifier. It follows the scheme of the IAU Transient Name Server, i.e. it starts with ‘AC’, then a space, then the 4-digit year followed by a short code made of lowercase letters assigned in consecutive order using the time of registration within the platform (e.g. AC 2025abc).

:gear: Under the Hood & Improvements

  • API & Search: The /event and /source_details endpoints now accept extended searches for additional identifiers and source names.
  • TOM Toolkit: Improved integration allows users to log in using an existing TOM token and update credentials manually later.
  • TDEs: Added a new category for Tidal Disruption Events to the “magnitude vs redshift” figure. Shout-out to @andrea.simongini for the continued help on this.
  • Performance: General speed improvements, a new loading screen, and a fix for loading specific historical events.
  • User feedback: We fixed the issue reported by @FredDJN in API help
  • Observatory Specific: Correct handling of moonlight constraints for H.E.S.S. ToO requests.

We hope these updates make your monitoring and observation planning even more efficient. As always, if you find a bug or have a feature request, please let us know right here in the forum!

Clear skies,
The Astro-COLIBRI Team

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