- Real-time alerts and context for transients with web and app access.
- REST API, real-time databases, and automatic photometry of large-scale mapping.
- Scientific citation guide and extensive history of journals and conferences.
- ProAm workshops and talks that strengthen the user community.
Astro Hummingbird It is a platform designed to monitor transient astrophysical phenomena in real time and put them into context quickly and usefully, For both professionals and amateurs. Its purpose is clear: to concentrate alerts, data, and practical information in a single location to act quickly when a significant event appears in the sky.
In recent years, the astrophysics Astro-COLIBRI has embraced the multi-messenger, multi-wavelength approach, incorporating signals such as high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves into classical observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. This shift requires tools capable of digesting alerts from multiple sources, cross-referencing them with external catalogs and resources, and instantly assessing observing conditions; precisely the gap that Astro-COLIBRI fills with a user-friendly, action-oriented experience.
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What is Astro Colibri and why does it matter?
Astro COLIBRI is an ecosystem that centralizes and processes warnings about cosmic explosions and bursts such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, variable outflows from active galactic nuclei, and also phenomena such as FRBs, stellar flares and novae.
Detect new events in real time across multiple alert streams, apply custom filters, and present a clear summary of each event's most relevant properties. Its focus is not only to inform, but to accelerate follow-up decisions. with quality data, intuitive visualizations, and links to specialized services to dig deeper when appropriate.
In addition to the high-level scientific aspect, the design of Astro COLIBRI It is intended so that non-expert users can understand what has happened and what observational implications it has. Hence its interest for amateur astronomers and ProAm groups, who want to react quickly from their own equipment or plan observing sessions.
Key features designed to work in minutes
- Immediate notifications: Every time a new transient phenomenon is detected, the platform alerts you via push notifications so you don't miss a thing. Immediacy is crucial: the sooner you react, the greater the chances of obtaining valuable monitoring data.
- Event cards with details and context: Each alert is accompanied by a comprehensive explanation and a summary of relevant observations, along with visualizations and links of interest. This allows professionals and amateurs alike to understand at a glance what has been seen and why it deserves attention.
- Planning observations: Astro COLIBRI calculates visibility and weather forecasts at large observatories and custom locations, even in your backyard. With this operational information, you can decide if tracking is feasible and the best time to observe.
- Multi-messenger and multi-wavelength context: lThe platform connects to services that allow the event to be placed in its broader physical context. This makes it easier to assess whether there are detections on other bands or with other probes and what the best opportunities are to expand coverage.
- Web interface and mobile applications: Access is possible from the web and from iOS and Android apps, with filtering options based on user criteria. This makes it easy to stay up-to-date wherever we are, which is essential if we receive the alert outside the observatory or from anywhere.
Architecture and real-time information flow
The Astro COLIBRI engine integrates a public REST API, real-time databases and a cloud-based alert system that channels events from multiple sources. This provides flexibility for developers and operational robustness for end users.
Custom filtering allows tailor notifications to specific interests, avoiding distractions and prioritizing the most relevant phenomena. This reduces the time from alert to action, whether aiming a telescope, sending a request, or coordinating a follow-up.
Quick display and presentation of event properties facilitates fast reading, without missing a detail when necessary. Additionally, links to external services enrich the exploration of each event on different bands and messengers.
It stands out Automatic incorporation of photometry from large optical maps, which improves the characterization of light curves and helps detect trends or monitoring priorities.
Workshops, talks and community life
The platform and its community They participate in workshops focused on multi-messenger astrophysics, with periodic meetings to exchange experiences and results. This dynamic strengthens the ecosystem and fosters collaborations between professional and amateur groups.
The fourth edition of Astro COLIBRI Multi-Messenger Astrophysics workshop It is scheduled to take place between October 20 and 24, 2025, in Paris-Saclay (France), continuing the line of collaborative work established in previous years.
How to access: web and mobile applications
Astro COLIBRI offers a clear web interface With a prominent button to access the "web version" within the ecosystem, ideal for exploring, checking out past events, and planning from a desktop. It also has mobile apps for iOS and Android that replicate its core features, including real-time push notifications.
La mobile application It allows you to carry alerts in your pocket, which is key for quick reactions during amateur observation or in field groups. It also relies on a public REST API, which facilitates specific development, integrations, and automation by institutions and advanced users.
Having the same information on the web and mobile helps international coordination, reducing delays and allowing teams to work in sync with real-time data. Consistency across both platforms facilitates a rapid and coordinated response to any event.
The philosophy is simple: Anywhere access, intuitive controls, and technical power enabled by an accessible interface, prioritizing fast action.
In short, Astro COLIBRI significantly reduces the time between the discovery of transient phenomena and observational response by integrating multiple alerts, physical context, planning support, and efficient access channels. With publications, conferences, workshops, and an active community, the platform is a reference point for monitoring the ever-changing universe.
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