KOPR — Software for Comet Observers
KOPR is open-source software for planning comet observing sessions, processing visual and CCD observations, calibrating and stacking astronomical images, and analysing comet light curves.
Main work areas
The current application contains six main tabs, shown below in the same order as in KOPR.
Process Visual Obs.
Process visual comet estimates using comparison-star data and prepare ICQ-format results.
Image Calibration & Stacking
Automatically materialize DSLR green TG FITS when needed, then prepare calibration masters, calibrate frames, solve astrometry, perform quality control and create star/comet stacks with bounded automatic thread and memory scheduling.
Process CCD Obs.
Measure total coma brightness with manual or automatic PA-adaptive ACF, bounded centroiding, reviewable frozen contexts, and ICQ/CARA Afρ output.
Observation Planner
Generate ephemerides and visibility diagrams using current comet data and configured observing locations.
Light Curve Analyzer
Analyse comet light curves and model brightness behaviour from available observations.
Light Curve Comparison
Compare light curves, formulas and observation ranges for multiple comets.
Download
Live source archives
Offline catalogues
APASS DR10 to magnitude 14
Selection for comet photometry with stars brighter than V = 14 mag. Download size: 298.4 MB.
APASS DR10 to magnitude 16
Selection for comet photometry with stars brighter than V = 16 mag. Download size: 1.3 GB.
Tycho-2 Catalogue
B and V magnitudes from the Tycho-2 catalogue. Download size: 48.1 MB.
Yale Bright Star Catalogue 5
V magnitudes and B−V indices for bright stars up to magnitude 7. For KOPR Live and versions 0.82 and newer.
Installation
The current live build requires Python 3.10 or newer and must be started from the directory containing kopr.py.
Documentation
The documentation has a stable static-HTML structure. Installation, configuration, all six application guides, the data/FITS reference, troubleshooting and developer chapters are available.
Start here
Installation, first startup, field-by-field configuration and general workflow.
Image workflow
Calibration, astrometry, quality control, stacking and exposure-normalized CCD photometry with the PA-adaptive ACF Review workflow.
Complete WStack guide · Complete CCD photometry guide · ACF / Review
Observation and analysis
Visual reductions, planning, light-curve fitting and multi-comet comparison.
Data and FITS reference
Input metadata, Scientific/Compact storage, unified stack time/exposure contracts, WStack extensions, external FITS inspection, paired stacks and observation outputs.
Troubleshooting
Symptom-based diagnostics for installation, calibration, astrometry, stacking, pair validation, catalogues and photometry.
Developer documentation
Architecture, algorithms, testing and the WStack integration contract for maintainers.
Performance and platforms
Fixed automatic limits, serial fallbacks, release validation and Linux/Windows/WSL target-machine checks.