VOTable availability

Helpdesk + Releases + Feature requests
1

Hi,

The main question is about VOTable that can be downloaded from the Astrocolibri app (no API used).

1-Astrocolibri can export light curves in VOTable format and also CSV format with the adaquat button “Download lightcurve data”. It’s great.
I noticed one (or both) file(s) are not always available, depending on …
As an example, to reproduce:

  • SN 2025myd, csv available, no VOTable (No such object)
  • SN 2025fel, no csv, no VOTable

-SN 2025ahxd (last entry for 2025), csv available, no VOTable

-AT 2026kwi (first entry for 2026), csv available, VOTable available,
Of course, all of these examples have lightcurve data.
So, “it seems” entries before 2026 have no VOTable available, and in some unexplained cases, also no csv file.

I could not figure out the trigger.

2-I noticed AC can export target data in json format with the “Download all selected events” button.

Is it possible to choose also a VOTable format? Assuming json is not supported by other VO software such as Topcat, Aladin

Regards

Fred

2

Dear Fred,

thanks again for your feedback!
The origin of the inconsistencies you found is rooted in the subsequent deployment of the relevant features. The releases relevant for this topic are:

  • v2.23.0 (date: 2025-07-07): While the lightcurve figures where introduced end of 2024 (with release v2.19.0), we only added the possibility to download the data in CSV format with this release. Events before that typically do not have a CSV and VOTable available (e.g. SN 2025fel)
  • v2.28.0 (date: 2026-03-31): This is the release which added the support for VO formats and integrations. This included the storage of photometric data in the VOTable format and all events after that date should have both formats. Some of the events you mention (SN 2025myd and SN 2025myd) have been detected between these two releases, they therefore only have the CSV data but not yet the VOTable format.

I hope this explains the mixed availabilities you observed.
The good news is that this concerns only the photometric data produced automatically. You can easily recreate that data (incl. extend the default time window, add new surveys, etc.) via the custom lightcurve requests. Once this request is done, the data download button will serve you the requested data in both, CSV and VOTable formats.

3

Hi Fabian,

Thank you very much for your clear explanation on the csv&VOTable light curves data. It’s great.

On my second point:

After selecting several events, I imagined it could be possible to export the selection as a VOTable (as this format is already managed) in addition to the json format that is proposed (top menu “Download all selected events”).

🚀 Astro-COLIBRI v2.30.0: Automated GRB Afterglows, Observation Reports & ORCID Sign-in
4

Hi,

yes absolutely. We recently realized that this option is missing and will implement it in the very near future.

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