MPCClass¶
-
class
astroquery.mpc.
MPCClass
[source]¶ Bases:
astroquery.query.BaseQuery
Attributes Summary
MPC_PASSWORD
MPC_URL
MPC_USERNAME
MPES_URL
OBSERVATORY_CODES_URL
TIMEOUT
Methods Summary
get_ephemeris
(*args, **kwargs)Queries the service and returns a table object. get_ephemeris_async
(target[, location, …])Object ephemerides from the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service. get_mpc_object_endpoint
(target_type)get_observatory_codes
(*args, **kwargs)Queries the service and returns a table object. get_observatory_codes_async
([…])Table of observatory codes from the IAU Minor Planet Center. get_observatory_location
(code[, cache])IAU observatory location. query_object
(*args, **kwargs)Queries the service and returns a table object. query_object_async
(target_type[, …])Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog. query_objects
(*args, **kwargs)Queries the service and returns a table object. query_objects_async
(target_type[, …])Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog Attributes Documentation
-
MPC_PASSWORD
= 'mpc!!ws'¶
-
MPC_URL
= 'https://minorplanetcenter.net/web_service'¶
-
MPC_USERNAME
= 'mpc_ws'¶
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MPES_URL
= 'https://cgi.minorplanetcenter.net/cgi-bin/mpeph2.cgi'¶
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OBSERVATORY_CODES_URL
= 'https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/ObsCodes.html'¶
-
TIMEOUT
= 60¶
Methods Documentation
-
get_ephemeris
(*args, **kwargs)¶ Queries the service and returns a table object.
Object ephemerides from the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service.
Parameters: target : str
Designation of the object of interest. See Notes for acceptable formats.
location : str, array-like, or
EarthLocation
, optionalObserver’s location as an IAU observatory code, a 3-element array of Earth longitude, latitude, altitude, or a
EarthLocation
. Longitude and latitude should be anything that initializes anAngle
object, and altitude should initialize anQuantity
object (with units of length). IfNone
, then the geocenter (code 500) is used.start : str or
Time
, optionalFirst epoch of the ephemeris as a string (UT), or astropy
Time
. Strings are parsed byTime
. IfNone
, then today is used. Valid dates span the time period 1900 Jan 1 - 2099 Dec 31 [MPES6].step : str or
Quantity
, optionalThe ephemeris step size or interval in units of days, hours, minutes, or seconds. Strings are parsed by
Quantity
. All inputs are rounded to the nearest integer. Default is 1 day.number : int, optional
The number of ephemeris dates to compute. Must be ≤1441. If
None
, the value depends on the units ofstep
: 21 for days, 49 for hours, 121 for minutes, or 301 for seconds.ut_offset : int, optional
Number of hours to offset from 0 UT for daily ephemerides.
eph_type : str, optional
Specify the type of ephemeris:
equatorial: RA and Dec (default) heliocentric: heliocentric position and velocity vectors geocentric: geocentric position vector
ra_format : dict, optional
Format the RA column with
to_string
using these keyword arguments, e.g.,{'sep': ':', 'unit': 'hourangle', 'precision': 1}
.dec_format : dict, optional
Format the Dec column with
to_string
using these keyword arguments, e.g.,{'sep': ':', 'precision': 0}
.proper_motion : str, optional
total: total motion and direction (default) coordinate: separate RA and Dec coordinate motion sky: separate RA and Dec sky motion (i.e., includes a cos(Dec) term).
proper_motion_unit : string or Unit, optional
Convert proper motion to this unit. Must be an angular rate. Default is ‘arcsec/h’.
suppress_daytime : bool, optional
Suppress output when the Sun is above the local horizon. (default
False
)suppress_set : bool, optional
Suppress output when the object is below the local horizon. (default
False
)perturbed : bool, optional
Generate perturbed ephemerides for unperturbed orbits (default
True
).unc_links : bool, optional
Return columns with uncertainty map and offset links, if available.
get_query_payload : bool, optional
Return the HTTP request parameters as a dictionary (default:
False
).get_raw_response : bool, optional
Return raw data without parsing into a table (default:
False
).cache : bool, optional
Cache results or use cached results (default:
False
).Returns: table : A
Table
object.Notes
See the MPES user’s guide [MPES6] for details on options and implementation.
MPES allows azimuths to be measured eastwards from the north meridian, or westwards from the south meridian. However, the
AltAz
coordinate frame assumes eastwards of north. To remain consistent with Astropy, eastwards of north is used.Acceptable target names [MPES6] are listed in the tables below.
Attention
Asteroid designations in the text version of the documentation may be prefixed with a backslash, which should be ignored. This is to force correct rendering of the designation in the rendered versions of the documentation (e.g., HTML).
Target Description (3202) Numbered minor planet (3202) 14829 Numbered minor planet (14829) 1997 XF11 Unnumbered minor planet 1997 XF11 1P Comet 1P/Halley C/2003 A2 Comet C/2003 A2 (Gleason) P/2003 CP7 Comet P/2003 CP7 (LINEAR-NEAT) For comets, P/ and C/ are interchangable. The designation may also be in a packed format:
Target Description 00233 Numbered minor planet (233) K03A07A Unnumbered minor planet 2003 AA7 PK03C07P Comet P/2003 CP7 (LINEAR-NEAT) 0039P Comet 39P/Oterma You may also search by name:
Target Description Encke (9134) Encke Africa (1193) Africa Africano (6391) Africano P/Encke 2P/Encke C/Encke 2P/Encke C/Gleason C/2003 A2 (Gleason) If a comet name is not unique, the first match will be returned.
References
[MPES6] (1, 2, 3, 4) Williams, G. The Minor Planet Ephemeris Service. https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/MPES.pdf (retrieved 2018 June 19). Examples
>>> from astroquery.mpc import MPC >>> tab = astroquery.mpc.MPC.get_ephemeris('(24)', location=568, ... start='2003-02-26', step='100d', number=3) # doctest: +SKIP >>> print(tab) # doctest: +SKIP
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get_ephemeris_async
(target, location='500', start=None, step='1d', number=None, ut_offset=0, eph_type='equatorial', ra_format=None, dec_format=None, proper_motion='total', proper_motion_unit='arcsec/h', suppress_daytime=False, suppress_set=False, perturbed=True, unc_links=False, get_query_payload=False, get_raw_response=False, cache=False)[source]¶ Object ephemerides from the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service.
Parameters: target : str
Designation of the object of interest. See Notes for acceptable formats.
location : str, array-like, or
EarthLocation
, optionalObserver’s location as an IAU observatory code, a 3-element array of Earth longitude, latitude, altitude, or a
EarthLocation
. Longitude and latitude should be anything that initializes anAngle
object, and altitude should initialize anQuantity
object (with units of length). IfNone
, then the geocenter (code 500) is used.start : str or
Time
, optionalFirst epoch of the ephemeris as a string (UT), or astropy
Time
. Strings are parsed byTime
. IfNone
, then today is used. Valid dates span the time period 1900 Jan 1 - 2099 Dec 31 [MPES7].step : str or
Quantity
, optionalThe ephemeris step size or interval in units of days, hours, minutes, or seconds. Strings are parsed by
Quantity
. All inputs are rounded to the nearest integer. Default is 1 day.number : int, optional
The number of ephemeris dates to compute. Must be ≤1441. If
None
, the value depends on the units ofstep
: 21 for days, 49 for hours, 121 for minutes, or 301 for seconds.ut_offset : int, optional
Number of hours to offset from 0 UT for daily ephemerides.
eph_type : str, optional
Specify the type of ephemeris:
equatorial: RA and Dec (default) heliocentric: heliocentric position and velocity vectors geocentric: geocentric position vector
ra_format : dict, optional
Format the RA column with
to_string
using these keyword arguments, e.g.,{'sep': ':', 'unit': 'hourangle', 'precision': 1}
.dec_format : dict, optional
Format the Dec column with
to_string
using these keyword arguments, e.g.,{'sep': ':', 'precision': 0}
.proper_motion : str, optional
total: total motion and direction (default) coordinate: separate RA and Dec coordinate motion sky: separate RA and Dec sky motion (i.e., includes a cos(Dec) term).
proper_motion_unit : string or Unit, optional
Convert proper motion to this unit. Must be an angular rate. Default is ‘arcsec/h’.
suppress_daytime : bool, optional
Suppress output when the Sun is above the local horizon. (default
False
)suppress_set : bool, optional
Suppress output when the object is below the local horizon. (default
False
)perturbed : bool, optional
Generate perturbed ephemerides for unperturbed orbits (default
True
).unc_links : bool, optional
Return columns with uncertainty map and offset links, if available.
get_query_payload : bool, optional
Return the HTTP request parameters as a dictionary (default:
False
).get_raw_response : bool, optional
Return raw data without parsing into a table (default:
False
).cache : bool, optional
Cache results or use cached results (default:
False
).Returns: response :
requests.Response
The HTTP response returned from the service.
Notes
See the MPES user’s guide [MPES7] for details on options and implementation.
MPES allows azimuths to be measured eastwards from the north meridian, or westwards from the south meridian. However, the
AltAz
coordinate frame assumes eastwards of north. To remain consistent with Astropy, eastwards of north is used.Acceptable target names [MPES7] are listed in the tables below.
Attention
Asteroid designations in the text version of the documentation may be prefixed with a backslash, which should be ignored. This is to force correct rendering of the designation in the rendered versions of the documentation (e.g., HTML).
Target Description (3202) Numbered minor planet (3202) 14829 Numbered minor planet (14829) 1997 XF11 Unnumbered minor planet 1997 XF11 1P Comet 1P/Halley C/2003 A2 Comet C/2003 A2 (Gleason) P/2003 CP7 Comet P/2003 CP7 (LINEAR-NEAT) For comets, P/ and C/ are interchangable. The designation may also be in a packed format:
Target Description 00233 Numbered minor planet (233) K03A07A Unnumbered minor planet 2003 AA7 PK03C07P Comet P/2003 CP7 (LINEAR-NEAT) 0039P Comet 39P/Oterma You may also search by name:
Target Description Encke (9134) Encke Africa (1193) Africa Africano (6391) Africano P/Encke 2P/Encke C/Encke 2P/Encke C/Gleason C/2003 A2 (Gleason) If a comet name is not unique, the first match will be returned.
References
[MPES7] (1, 2, 3, 4) Williams, G. The Minor Planet Ephemeris Service. https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/MPES.pdf (retrieved 2018 June 19). Examples
>>> from astroquery.mpc import MPC >>> tab = astroquery.mpc.MPC.get_ephemeris('(24)', location=568, ... start='2003-02-26', step='100d', number=3) # doctest: +SKIP >>> print(tab) # doctest: +SKIP
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get_observatory_codes
(*args, **kwargs)¶ Queries the service and returns a table object.
Table of observatory codes from the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Parameters: get_raw_response : bool, optional
Return raw data without parsing into a table (default:
False
).cache : bool, optional
Cache results or use cached results (default:
True
).Returns: table : A
Table
object.References
Examples
>>> from astroquery.mpc import MPC >>> obs = MPC.get_observatory_codes() # doctest: +SKIP >>> print(obs[295]) # doctest: +SKIP Code Longitude cos sin Name ---- --------- -------- --------- ------------- 309 289.59569 0.909943 -0.414336 Cerro Paranal
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get_observatory_codes_async
(get_raw_response=False, cache=True)[source]¶ Table of observatory codes from the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Parameters: get_raw_response : bool, optional
Return raw data without parsing into a table (default:
False
).cache : bool, optional
Cache results or use cached results (default:
True
).Returns: response :
requests.Response
The HTTP response returned from the service.
References
Examples
>>> from astroquery.mpc import MPC >>> obs = MPC.get_observatory_codes() # doctest: +SKIP >>> print(obs[295]) # doctest: +SKIP Code Longitude cos sin Name ---- --------- -------- --------- ------------- 309 289.59569 0.909943 -0.414336 Cerro Paranal
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get_observatory_location
(code, cache=True)[source]¶ IAU observatory location.
Parameters: code : string
Three-character IAU observatory code.
cache : bool, optional
Cache observatory table or use cached results (default:
True
).Returns: longitude : Angle
Observatory longitude (east of Greenwich).
cos : float
Parallax constant
rho * cos(phi)
whererho
is the geocentric distance in earth radii, andphi
is the geocentric latitude.sin : float
Parallax constant
rho * sin(phi)
.name : string
The name of the observatory.
Raises: LookupError
If
code
is not found in the MPC table.Examples
>>> from astroquery.mpc import MPC >>> obs = MPC.get_observatory_location('000') >>> print(obs) # doctest: +SKIP (<Angle 0. deg>, 0.62411, 0.77873, 'Greenwich')
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query_object
(*args, **kwargs)¶ Queries the service and returns a table object.
Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog. When searching for a comet, it will return the entry with the latest epoch.
The following are valid query parameters for the MPC API search. The params list and description are from https://minorplanetcenter.net/web_service/ and are accurate as of 3/6/2018.
Parameters: target_type : str
Search for either a comet or an asteroid, with the two valid values being, naturally, “comet” and “asteroid”
updated_at : str
Date-time when the Orbits table was last updated (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ). Note: the documentation lists this field as “orbit-updated-at”, but the service response contained “updated_at”, which appears to correlate and can also be used as a query parameter.
name : str
The object’s name; e.g., Eros. This can be queried as ‘Eros’ or ‘eros’. If the object has not yet been named, this field will be ‘null’.
number : integer
The object’s number; e.g., 433. If the object has not yet been numbered, this field will be ‘null’.
designation : str
The object’s provisional designation (e.g., 2014 AA) if it has not been numbered yet. If the object has been numbered, this number is its permanent designation and is what the ‘designation’ parameter will return, padded with leading zeroes for a total of 7 digits; e.g., ‘0000433’. When querying for provisional designations, because white spaces aren’t allowed in the query, escape the space with either a ‘+’ or ‘%20’; e.g., ‘2014+AA’ or ‘2014%20AA’.
epoch : str
The date/time of reference for the current orbital parameters.
epoch_jd : str
The Julian Date of the epoch.
period (years) : str
Time it takes for the object to complete one orbit around the Sun.
semimajor_axis : str
a, one half of the longest diameter of the orbital ellipse. (AU)
aphelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is furthest from the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is nearest to the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_date : str
Date when the object is at perihelion, i.e., reaches its closest point to the Sun.
perihelion_date_jd : str
The Julian Date of perihelion.
argument_of_perihelion (°) : str
ω, defines the orientation of the ellipse in the orbital plane and is the angle from the object’s ascending node to its perihelion, measured in the direction of motion. Range: 0–360°.
ascending_node (°) : str
Ω, the longitude of the ascending node, it defines the horizontal orientation of the ellipse with respect to the ecliptic, and is the angle measured counterclockwise (as seen from North of the ecliptic) from the First Point of Aries to the ascending node. Range: 0–360°.
inclination (°) : str
i, the angle between the object’s orbit and the ecliptic. Range: 0–180°.
eccentricity : str
e, a measure of how far the orbit shape departs from a circle. Range: 0–1, with e = 0 being a perfect circle, intermediate values being ellipses ever more elongated as e increases, and e = 1 describing a parabola.
mean_anomaly (°) : str
M, is related to the position of the object along its orbit at the given epoch. Range: 0–360°.
mean_daily_motion (°/day) : str
n, a measure of the average speed of the object along its orbit.
absolute_magnitude : str
H, apparent magnitude the object would have if it were observed from 1 AU away at zero phase, while it was 1 AU away from the Sun. Note this is geometrically impossible and is equivalent to observing the object from the center of the Sun.
phase_slope : str
G, slope parameter as calculated or assumed by the MPC. The slope parameter is a measure of how much brighter the object gets as its phase angle decreases. When not known, a value of G = 0.15 is assumed.
orbit_type : integer
Asteroids are classified from a dynamics perspective by the area of the Solar System in which they orbit. A number identifies each orbit type. 0: Unclassified (mostly Main Belters) 1: Atiras 2: Atens 3: Apollos 4: Amors 5: Mars Crossers 6: Hungarias 7: Phocaeas 8: Hildas 9: Jupiter Trojans 10: Distant Objects
delta_v (km/sec) : float
Δv, an estimate of the amount of energy necessary to jump from LEO (Low Earth Orbit) to the object’s orbit.
tisserand_jupiter : float
TJ, Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter, which is a quasi-invariant value for each object and is frequently used to distinguish objects (typically TJ > 3) from Jupiter-family comets (typically 2 < TJ < 3).
neo : bool
value = 1 flags Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
km_neo : bool
value = 1 flags NEOs larger than ~1 km in diameter.
pha : bool
value = 1 flags Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
mercury_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mercury. (AU)
venus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Venus. (AU)
earth_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Earth. (AU)
mars_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mars. (AU)
jupiter_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Jupiter. (AU)
saturn_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Saturn. (AU)
uranus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Uranus. (AU)
neptune_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Neptune. (AU)
Returns: table : A
Table
object.
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query_object_async
(target_type, get_query_payload=False, *args, **kwargs)[source]¶ Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog. When searching for a comet, it will return the entry with the latest epoch.
The following are valid query parameters for the MPC API search. The params list and description are from https://minorplanetcenter.net/web_service/ and are accurate as of 3/6/2018.
Parameters: target_type : str
Search for either a comet or an asteroid, with the two valid values being, naturally, “comet” and “asteroid”
updated_at : str
Date-time when the Orbits table was last updated (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ). Note: the documentation lists this field as “orbit-updated-at”, but the service response contained “updated_at”, which appears to correlate and can also be used as a query parameter.
name : str
The object’s name; e.g., Eros. This can be queried as ‘Eros’ or ‘eros’. If the object has not yet been named, this field will be ‘null’.
number : integer
The object’s number; e.g., 433. If the object has not yet been numbered, this field will be ‘null’.
designation : str
The object’s provisional designation (e.g., 2014 AA) if it has not been numbered yet. If the object has been numbered, this number is its permanent designation and is what the ‘designation’ parameter will return, padded with leading zeroes for a total of 7 digits; e.g., ‘0000433’. When querying for provisional designations, because white spaces aren’t allowed in the query, escape the space with either a ‘+’ or ‘%20’; e.g., ‘2014+AA’ or ‘2014%20AA’.
epoch : str
The date/time of reference for the current orbital parameters.
epoch_jd : str
The Julian Date of the epoch.
period (years) : str
Time it takes for the object to complete one orbit around the Sun.
semimajor_axis : str
a, one half of the longest diameter of the orbital ellipse. (AU)
aphelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is furthest from the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is nearest to the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_date : str
Date when the object is at perihelion, i.e., reaches its closest point to the Sun.
perihelion_date_jd : str
The Julian Date of perihelion.
argument_of_perihelion (°) : str
ω, defines the orientation of the ellipse in the orbital plane and is the angle from the object’s ascending node to its perihelion, measured in the direction of motion. Range: 0–360°.
ascending_node (°) : str
Ω, the longitude of the ascending node, it defines the horizontal orientation of the ellipse with respect to the ecliptic, and is the angle measured counterclockwise (as seen from North of the ecliptic) from the First Point of Aries to the ascending node. Range: 0–360°.
inclination (°) : str
i, the angle between the object’s orbit and the ecliptic. Range: 0–180°.
eccentricity : str
e, a measure of how far the orbit shape departs from a circle. Range: 0–1, with e = 0 being a perfect circle, intermediate values being ellipses ever more elongated as e increases, and e = 1 describing a parabola.
mean_anomaly (°) : str
M, is related to the position of the object along its orbit at the given epoch. Range: 0–360°.
mean_daily_motion (°/day) : str
n, a measure of the average speed of the object along its orbit.
absolute_magnitude : str
H, apparent magnitude the object would have if it were observed from 1 AU away at zero phase, while it was 1 AU away from the Sun. Note this is geometrically impossible and is equivalent to observing the object from the center of the Sun.
phase_slope : str
G, slope parameter as calculated or assumed by the MPC. The slope parameter is a measure of how much brighter the object gets as its phase angle decreases. When not known, a value of G = 0.15 is assumed.
orbit_type : integer
Asteroids are classified from a dynamics perspective by the area of the Solar System in which they orbit. A number identifies each orbit type. 0: Unclassified (mostly Main Belters) 1: Atiras 2: Atens 3: Apollos 4: Amors 5: Mars Crossers 6: Hungarias 7: Phocaeas 8: Hildas 9: Jupiter Trojans 10: Distant Objects
delta_v (km/sec) : float
Δv, an estimate of the amount of energy necessary to jump from LEO (Low Earth Orbit) to the object’s orbit.
tisserand_jupiter : float
TJ, Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter, which is a quasi-invariant value for each object and is frequently used to distinguish objects (typically TJ > 3) from Jupiter-family comets (typically 2 < TJ < 3).
neo : bool
value = 1 flags Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
km_neo : bool
value = 1 flags NEOs larger than ~1 km in diameter.
pha : bool
value = 1 flags Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
mercury_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mercury. (AU)
venus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Venus. (AU)
earth_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Earth. (AU)
mars_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mars. (AU)
jupiter_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Jupiter. (AU)
saturn_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Saturn. (AU)
uranus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Uranus. (AU)
neptune_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Neptune. (AU)
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query_objects
(*args, **kwargs)¶ Queries the service and returns a table object.
Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog
The following are valid query parameters for the MPC API search. The params list and description are from https://minorplanetcenter.net/web_service/ and are accurate as of 3/6/2018:
Parameters: target_type : str
Search for either a comet or an asteroid, with the two valid values being, naturally, “comet” and “asteroid”
updated_at : str
Date-time when the Orbits table was last updated (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ). Note: the documentation lists this field as “orbit-updated-at”, but the service response contained “updated_at”, which appears to correlate and can also be used as a query parameter.
name : str
The object’s name; e.g., Eros. This can be queried as ‘Eros’ or ‘eros’. If the object has not yet been named, this field will be ‘null’.
number : integer
The object’s number; e.g., 433. If the object has not yet been numbered, this field will be ‘null’.
designation : str
The object’s provisional designation (e.g., 2014 AA) if it has not been numbered yet. If the object has been numbered, this number is its permanent designation and is what the ‘designation’ parameter will return, padded with leading zeroes for a total of 7 digits; e.g., ‘0000433’. When querying for provisional designations, because white spaces aren’t allowed in the query, escape the space with either a ‘+’ or ‘%20’; e.g., ‘2014+AA’ or ‘2014%20AA’.
epoch : str
The date/time of reference for the current orbital parameters.
epoch_jd : str
The Julian Date of the epoch.
period (years) : str
Time it takes for the object to complete one orbit around the Sun.
semimajor_axis : str
a, one half of the longest diameter of the orbital ellipse. (AU)
aphelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is furthest from the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is nearest to the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_date : str
Date when the object is at perihelion, i.e., reaches its closest point to the Sun.
perihelion_date_jd : str
The Julian Date of perihelion.
argument_of_perihelion (°) : str
ω, defines the orientation of the ellipse in the orbital plane and is the angle from the object’s ascending node to its perihelion, measured in the direction of motion. Range: 0–360°.
ascending_node (°) : str
Ω, the longitude of the ascending node, it defines the horizontal orientation of the ellipse with respect to the ecliptic, and is the angle measured counterclockwise (as seen from North of the ecliptic) from the First Point of Aries to the ascending node. Range: 0–360°.
inclination (°) : str
i, the angle between the object’s orbit and the ecliptic. Range: 0–180°.
eccentricity : str
e, a measure of how far the orbit shape departs from a circle. Range: 0–1, with e = 0 being a perfect circle, intermediate values being ellipses ever more elongated as e increases, and e = 1 describing a parabola.
mean_anomaly (°) : str
M, is related to the position of the object along its orbit at the given epoch. Range: 0–360°.
mean_daily_motion (°/day) : str
n, a measure of the average speed of the object along its orbit.
absolute_magnitude : str
H, apparent magnitude the object would have if it were observed from 1 AU away at zero phase, while it was 1 AU away from the Sun. Note this is geometrically impossible and is equivalent to observing the object from the center of the Sun.
phase_slope : str
G, slope parameter as calculated or assumed by the MPC. The slope parameter is a measure of how much brighter the object gets as its phase angle decreases. When not known, a value of G = 0.15 is assumed.
orbit_type : integer
Asteroids are classified from a dynamics perspective by the area of the Solar System in which they orbit. A number identifies each orbit type. 0: Unclassified (mostly Main Belters) 1: Atiras 2: Atens 3: Apollos 4: Amors 5: Mars Crossers 6: Hungarias 7: Phocaeas 8: Hildas 9: Jupiter Trojans 10: Distant Objects
delta_v (km/sec) : float
Δv, an estimate of the amount of energy necessary to jump from LEO (Low Earth Orbit) to the object’s orbit.
tisserand_jupiter : float
TJ, Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter, which is a quasi-invariant value for each object and is frequently used to distinguish objects (typically TJ > 3) from Jupiter-family comets (typically 2 < TJ < 3).
neo : bool
value = 1 flags Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
km_neo : bool
value = 1 flags NEOs larger than ~1 km in diameter.
pha : bool
value = 1 flags Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
mercury_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mercury. (AU)
venus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Venus. (AU)
earth_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Earth. (AU)
mars_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mars. (AU)
jupiter_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Jupiter. (AU)
saturn_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Saturn. (AU)
uranus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Uranus. (AU)
neptune_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Neptune. (AU)
limit : integer
Limit the number of results to the given value
Returns: table : A
Table
object.
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query_objects_async
(target_type, get_query_payload=False, *args, **kwargs)[source]¶ Query around a specific object within a given mission catalog
The following are valid query parameters for the MPC API search. The params list and description are from https://minorplanetcenter.net/web_service/ and are accurate as of 3/6/2018:
Parameters: target_type : str
Search for either a comet or an asteroid, with the two valid values being, naturally, “comet” and “asteroid”
updated_at : str
Date-time when the Orbits table was last updated (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ). Note: the documentation lists this field as “orbit-updated-at”, but the service response contained “updated_at”, which appears to correlate and can also be used as a query parameter.
name : str
The object’s name; e.g., Eros. This can be queried as ‘Eros’ or ‘eros’. If the object has not yet been named, this field will be ‘null’.
number : integer
The object’s number; e.g., 433. If the object has not yet been numbered, this field will be ‘null’.
designation : str
The object’s provisional designation (e.g., 2014 AA) if it has not been numbered yet. If the object has been numbered, this number is its permanent designation and is what the ‘designation’ parameter will return, padded with leading zeroes for a total of 7 digits; e.g., ‘0000433’. When querying for provisional designations, because white spaces aren’t allowed in the query, escape the space with either a ‘+’ or ‘%20’; e.g., ‘2014+AA’ or ‘2014%20AA’.
epoch : str
The date/time of reference for the current orbital parameters.
epoch_jd : str
The Julian Date of the epoch.
period (years) : str
Time it takes for the object to complete one orbit around the Sun.
semimajor_axis : str
a, one half of the longest diameter of the orbital ellipse. (AU)
aphelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is furthest from the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_distance : str
The distance when the object is nearest to the Sun in its orbit. (AU)
perihelion_date : str
Date when the object is at perihelion, i.e., reaches its closest point to the Sun.
perihelion_date_jd : str
The Julian Date of perihelion.
argument_of_perihelion (°) : str
ω, defines the orientation of the ellipse in the orbital plane and is the angle from the object’s ascending node to its perihelion, measured in the direction of motion. Range: 0–360°.
ascending_node (°) : str
Ω, the longitude of the ascending node, it defines the horizontal orientation of the ellipse with respect to the ecliptic, and is the angle measured counterclockwise (as seen from North of the ecliptic) from the First Point of Aries to the ascending node. Range: 0–360°.
inclination (°) : str
i, the angle between the object’s orbit and the ecliptic. Range: 0–180°.
eccentricity : str
e, a measure of how far the orbit shape departs from a circle. Range: 0–1, with e = 0 being a perfect circle, intermediate values being ellipses ever more elongated as e increases, and e = 1 describing a parabola.
mean_anomaly (°) : str
M, is related to the position of the object along its orbit at the given epoch. Range: 0–360°.
mean_daily_motion (°/day) : str
n, a measure of the average speed of the object along its orbit.
absolute_magnitude : str
H, apparent magnitude the object would have if it were observed from 1 AU away at zero phase, while it was 1 AU away from the Sun. Note this is geometrically impossible and is equivalent to observing the object from the center of the Sun.
phase_slope : str
G, slope parameter as calculated or assumed by the MPC. The slope parameter is a measure of how much brighter the object gets as its phase angle decreases. When not known, a value of G = 0.15 is assumed.
orbit_type : integer
Asteroids are classified from a dynamics perspective by the area of the Solar System in which they orbit. A number identifies each orbit type. 0: Unclassified (mostly Main Belters) 1: Atiras 2: Atens 3: Apollos 4: Amors 5: Mars Crossers 6: Hungarias 7: Phocaeas 8: Hildas 9: Jupiter Trojans 10: Distant Objects
delta_v (km/sec) : float
Δv, an estimate of the amount of energy necessary to jump from LEO (Low Earth Orbit) to the object’s orbit.
tisserand_jupiter : float
TJ, Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter, which is a quasi-invariant value for each object and is frequently used to distinguish objects (typically TJ > 3) from Jupiter-family comets (typically 2 < TJ < 3).
neo : bool
value = 1 flags Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
km_neo : bool
value = 1 flags NEOs larger than ~1 km in diameter.
pha : bool
value = 1 flags Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
mercury_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mercury. (AU)
venus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Venus. (AU)
earth_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Earth. (AU)
mars_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Mars. (AU)
jupiter_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Jupiter. (AU)
saturn_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Saturn. (AU)
uranus_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Uranus. (AU)
neptune_moid : float
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance with respect to Neptune. (AU)
limit : integer
Limit the number of results to the given value
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