Peranso is the leading light curve and period analysis software in astronomy. It offers a complete set of powerful light curve and period analysis functions to work with large, multi-night astronomical data sets, collected by a variety of observers. It is equally effective for the individual observer, who wants to analyze his observations of one or more nights.

Substantial attention has been given to ease-of-use and data accuracy, making Peranso the most productive period or time series analysis software on the market. Peranso lets you take control of your data analysis. Forget intimidating manuals and complex commands - powerful light curve and period analysis capabilities are now within your reach. 

Peranso includes these powerful features. Features marked in bold are new compared to Peranso 2 :

  • An extensive set of period analysis methods to detect periodicities in time-series data : Lomb-Scargle, Generalized Lomb-Scargle GLS, Bloomfield, Discrete Fourier Transform DFT (Deeming), Date Compensated Discrete Fourier Transform DCDFT (Ferraz-Mello), CLEANest (Foster), FALC (Harris), Jurkewich, PDM (Phase Dispersion Minimization), Dworetsky, Renson, Analysis of Variance ANOVA (Schwarzenberg-Czerny), Conditional Entropy CE,  Lafler-Kinman, Phase-binned Analysis of Variance (AoV), Planetary Transits AoV, Weighted Wavelet Z-Transform WWZ (Foster), EEBLS (Kovacs) for exoplanet transits. 
  • Multiple window types to display observation sets, period diagrams, phase diagrams, etc. Each observation set is drawn in a distinctive color, that is consistently used throughout all related windows.
  • Plotting of Internet light curves from the AAVSO database. Observations are online retrieved upon simply entering the name of the variable and the time range. Easily generate lists of observers, highlight observations of one or more observers, or select observations based on filter settings.
  • Plotting of Internet ZTF light curves from the Lasair Transients and Variables website or NASA Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) archive. Observations are online retrieved upon simply entering the name of the variable or its coordinates, and a search radius.
  • Plotting of Internet ASAS light curves from the ASAS Catalogue of Variable Stars, ASAS-SN light curves, Catalina Surveys DR2 light curves, Gaia light curves, Hipparcos light curves, Kepler and Kepler K2 light curves, NSVS light curves, Pan-STARRS1 DR2 light curves, SkyMapper DR2 light curves, SuperWASP light curves, TESS light curves.
  • Natively import file-based observations from Microsoft Excel™, AIP4Win v2™, AAVSO Extended File Format EFF, AAVSO International Database AID, ASAS (All Sky Automated Survey), ASAS-SN (All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae), LesvePhotometry, DASCH (Digital Access to a Sky Century at Harvard) and ALCDEF (Asteroid Light Curve Data Exchange File). 
  • Import observations using the Microsoft Windows clipboard. 
  • Powerful data analysis functions for averaging, linear and non-linear detrending, heliocentric correction, curve fitting, etc. 
  • A unique Lightcurve Workbench for advanced light curve analysis, comprising functions for data reduction (binning), polynomial fitting, extremum finding, etc. We also added LOWESS fitting (locally-weighted scatterplot smoothing) to smooth light curves and to auto-detect outliers (observations that may be removed from the light curve), and LOWESS detrending. 
  • User controlled "prewhitening" routine for elimination of aliases and confirmation of secondary periods.
  • Particularly effective, fully-automated multi-period analysis function using the CLEANest / SLICK method by Grant Foster.
  • Use Wavelets to study and visualize period variations over time, using the Weighted Wavelet Z-Transform WWZ (Foster).
  • Visualization of the Model Function showing how selected frequencies/periods fit the observations, completed with the ability to show Residuals resulting from subtracting the Model Function from the observations (CLEANest method).
  • Seamless integration with LesvePhotometry, allowing to directly plot a light curve from a LesvePhotometry AAVSO or CBA (Center for Backyard Astrophysics) report. You can also clean your LesvePhotometry reports by graphically marking incorrect observations and initiating a one-step cleaning process.
  • Analyse photometric time series in search for periodic transits by exoplanets, using the EEBLS (Edge Enhanced Box-fitting Least Squares) method by Kovacs. Calculate and visualize the EEBLS frequency spectrum, fold the time series over the most significant EEBLS period, calculate the epoch of mid-transit events, the transit depth and duration, graphically display the fit obtained by the EEBLS method. 
  • Period determination of eclipsing Algol-type (EA) binaries using the EASolver method (Wils). It works on photometric survey data with only few observations showing the variable in faint state. 
  • Determination of period error values (uncertainties) based on a method by Schwarzenberg-Czerny.
  • Sophisticated calculation of False Alarm Probabilities to determine the period significances, using a Fisher Randomization method (Monte-Carlo permutations).
  • Extremum finding based on (a) the Kwee-van Woerden algorithm, or (b) local minima/maxima determination through polynomial fitting.
  • Calculating and drawing Period windows has become significantly faster compared to Peranso 2, using some novel techniques. Compute-intensive operations, such as a Significance Analysis, easily required 30 minutes or more to complete in Peranso 2. They now on average complete in less than a minute.
  • Easily visualize light curves with several hundred thousand of observations. Peranso 3 uses an innovative drawing technique to optimize the amount of observations to be drawn while still preserving the overall shape and characteristics of the light curve. Using a low-end laptop, it takes less than a few seconds to draw a light curve with over 600.000 observations, and to zoom in on any particular section.
  • When hoovering the mouse over an observation in an Observations window, a call-out box shows up with relevant information about the observation, including the time (Julian and Calendar Dates), brightness, used filter, observer name (if applicable), etc.
  • An Ephemeris Calculator generates an ephemeris for exoplanet transit times, or for variable star eclipse times. Simply enter the name of the object, the epoch data and the observing interval, and you will get the list of all ephemeris dates and times, expressed in Julian Date and Calendar Date formats.
  • Temporary deactivate observations and study the impact on your period analysis results. 
  • Powerful data and image export capabilities (to file or to clipboard).
  • Measurement tool to measure the distance between two observations in an Observations or Phase Window.
  • "One-Button-Save" to store all analysis windows on disk and to continue your work in identical conditions at a later stage
  • Email utility to send LesvePhotometry AAVSO or CBA observations directly to one or more recipients, by simply clicking on the light curve.
  • Toolbars, cursors and indicators let you select prominent periods, indicate intervals for refinement of your period analysis, etc. 
  • Easy navigation bar to step through and zoom in on observation sets. Scroll buttons allow you to pan a light curve. 
  • Fully customizable windows : axes, grids, window annotation, trendlines, colors, etc. 
  • Full compatibility with Peranso 2: all of your Peranso 2 files will open in Peranso 3 and render correctly, without loss of any data.