NEO Tracker v3.0 — Online Project Pluto Engine

NEO Tracker v3.0 — Online Project Pluto Engine

This release removes the need for a local Find_Orb installation.

Major changes

• Removed local fo64.exe / Find_Orb dependency.
• Removed config.ini.
• Added Project Pluto online Find_Orb backend.
• Unified workflow for known NEOs and NEOCP candidates.
• Added local Alt/Az/Airmass calculation with Astropy.
• Added apparent motion rate in arcsec/min and motion PA.
• Improved ephemeris table formatting.
• Added cleaner error handling for invalid objects or unavailable ephemerides.
• Added parser regression tests for Project Pluto responses.

Requirements

The executable version does not require Python.

For source usage:

pip install -r requirements.txt

**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/Anduin-source/NEOS_Tracker/compare/v2.1...v3.0

NEO Tracker v2.1 — Bug Fixes & NEO Classification

What's changed

Bug Fixes

• NEO mode fully restored: observations were silently dropped due to a packed-designation mismatch in the OBS80 filter (e.g. 2024 MK2 → K24M02K), producing an empty file and fo64.exe exit status 1. Filter is now restricted to NEOCP only.
• Submit button deadlock fixed: a non-integer value in Ephemeris steps left _processing = True permanently, silently locking the Submit button for the rest of the session.
• Validation error highlight now visible: ttk.Entry requires style-based theming (Error.TEntry); the previous .configure(background=...) had no visual effect.

Improvements

• NEO classification rewritten: dynamical class now uses Tisserand relative to Jupiter (T_J) with explicit fallback. NEO sub-class (Atira / Aten / Apollo / Amor) derived from orbital elements.
• Ephemeris altitude column corrected: parser was reading Position Angle (PA) instead of altitude, yielding impossible values > 90°.
• "Close Approach" renamed to Min. Distance in Ephemeris Window to accurately reflect what the section computes.

Housekeeping

• app.log removed from git tracking
• .gitignore rewritten

---

⚠️ Requires Find_Orb (fo64.exe) — see installation instructions.

NEO Tracker v2.0

NEO Tracker v2.0 — First Public Release

Installation: See the README for full instructions.

What's included

• NEO_Tracker.exe — the application (no Python required)
• config.ini — configuration file (edit before first run)

Features

• Split-pane interface with integrated NEOCP candidates panel
• Candidates sorted by visual magnitude (brightest first)
• Double-click any NEOCP candidate to auto-fill the form
• Dark professional theme
• Observatory code remembered automatically between sessions

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• Find_Orb (fo64.exe) — free, see README for download and setup instructions
• Internet connection (to fetch MPC data)

---

NEO Tracker v2.0 — Primeira Versão Pública

Instalação: Consulte o README para instruções completas.

O que está incluído

• NEO_Tracker.exe — o programa (não requer Python)
• config.ini — arquivo de configuração (editar antes do primeiro uso)

Funcionalidades

• Interface com painel lateral integrado de candidatos NEOCP
• Candidatos ordenados por magnitude visual (mais brilhantes primeiro)
• Duplo clique em qualquer candidato NEOCP para preencher o formulário automaticamente
• Tema escuro profissional
• Código de observatório memorizado automaticamente entre sessões

Requisitos

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• Find_Orb (fo64.exe) — gratuito, consulte o README para instruções de download e configuração
• Conexão com a internet (para buscar dados do MPC)