Sample Code

This section provides Python sample code for receiving and interacting with GCN Notices. GCN Notices are available over several different protocols and in several different formats. LIGO/Virgo strongly recommends using the VOEvent Transport Protocol (VTP) to receive notices in VOEvent XML format because it is anonymous, configuration-free, and easy to parse.

This tutorial will walk you through writing a Python script to receive and process example LIGO/Virgo GCN notice that are sent every hour (starting around 2018-12-14 16:00 UTC). The tutorial is broken into the following subsections:

• Prerequisites
• Receiving GCNs
• Working with Sky Maps
• Basic Observability Calculations
• Distance and 3D Sky Maps
• Additional Tools