PyAutoLens

Spec sheet

Purpose

PyAutoLens is software for analysing strong gravitational lenses and aims to enable fully automated strong lens analysis.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Intended users

The documentation recommends new users study its workspace examples and HowToLens Jupyter notebook lecture series on strong gravitational lensing.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Free plan

YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Integrations

PyAutoLens uses PyAutoFit for probabilistic lens modeling and documents search options including dynesty and emcee.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

3D visuals

NoRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Acceleration

It uses JAX for lensing calculations and can run significantly faster on GPUs.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

AI assistant

The PyAutoLens AI Assistant supports natural-language gravitational-lensing work inside an AI coding agent; Claude Code and Codex are recommended, while OpenCode is described as experimental.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Assessment tools

NoRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Assistant access

The documentation says sustained scientific use of the assistant normally requires paid access to an AI coding agent, and browser chat routes through ChatGPT or Claude with a GitHub connector are no longer supported.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Authoring tools

NoRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Automated modeling

Its Source, Light and Mass pipelines build a lens model through a sequence of searches that gradually increase model complexity.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Data cubes

It can fit spectral-line data cubes with a shared lens model across channels and a separate source reconstruction for each channel.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Data export

YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Delivery mode

desktopRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

GPU acceleration

It uses JAX for GPU acceleration, which the docs say can often run 50 times or more faster than CPUs.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

GPU requirements

The default installation includes CPU-only JAX; GPU acceleration requires installing JAX with GPU support separately.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Installation

PyAutoLens requires Python 3.12 or later and can be installed with Anaconda or pip from PyPI.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Installation limits

PyAutoLens requires Python 3.12 or later and supports Linux, macOS and Windows; Windows users must use Anaconda.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Intel Mac limitation

On Intel Macs, JAX wheels are unavailable, so PyAutoLens uses the slower NumPy path; other supported platforms listed get JAX by default.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Interferometry

It fits interferometer visibility data directly in the uv-plane, with examples involving ALMA and LOFAR data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Lens scales

The docs describe tools for modeling multi-galaxy and group-scale lenses and state there is no limit on the number of lens or source galaxies.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Lesson library

NoRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Multi-wavelength

It supports simultaneous analysis of imaging datasets at different wavelengths and combinations of imaging and interferometer data.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Offline access

YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · github.com

Operating systems

The documentation says PyAutoLens supports Linux, MacOS, and Windows.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Optional dependency

Interferometer analysis requires the optional nufftax dependency, which the docs recommend installing only for that analysis.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Other features

Listed features include multi-Gaussian expansion, group-scale lenses, multi-wavelength analysis, ellipse fitting, shapelets, operated light profiles, and sky-background modeling.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Pixelized reconstruction

Pixelizations reconstruct a source galaxy on a pixel grid to capture irregular and clumpy structures.Read 7 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Point sources

It models point sources such as strongly lensed quasars and supernovae.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Source reconstruction

Pixelizations reconstruct source galaxy light on a pixel grid and can capture non-symmetric, irregular and clumpy sources.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Weak lensing

It fits weak-lensing shear catalogues and can combine strong- and weak-lensing data in joint analyses of a cluster.Read 8 Oct 2026 · pyautolens.readthedocs.io

Plans and prices

Every PyAutoLens plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Physics Simulation Software#18 of 898.4