Important

This project is active, but has been moved to cadojo/EphemerisSources.jl.

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HorizonsAPI

A wrapper around JPL's REST API for the HORIZONS solar system ephemeris platform!

Warning

This package is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA, JPL, Caltech, or any other organization! This is an independently written package by an astrodynamics hobbyist. See the HorizonsAPI.jl license file for more information about code sharing and usage!

Overview

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located at the California Institute of Technology, provides a solar system ephemeris service called HORIZONS. It's fantastic! It can find and visualize periodic orbits, allow you to download position and velocity data for bodies in our solar system, list physical parameters for celestial bodies, and more!

You may utilize these tools using several methods, including through a web interface, with telnet via telnet ssd.jpl.nasa.gov 6775, and even through email! You can consult the HORIZONS documentation for more information.

In 2021, JPL released a REST API which allows users to programatically interact with HORIZONS through HTTP requests. This API is also described in the HORIZONS documentation. This Julia package provides an interface to the HORIZONS REST API.

Limitations

Note that JPL Horizons ephemeris accuracy for major planetary bodies in the solar system may have errors larger than 1000km at some times!

Context

This package matches the precise interace, which matches the syntax of the requests described in the HORIZONS documentation. In addition, a more Julian syntax for ephemeris downloading and processing is provided in a separate interface: HorizonsEphemeris.jl.

Credits

This package uses HTTP.jl to process all HTTP requests and responses!