Planet Positions API

About the Planet Positions API

Pass observer latitude, longitude, and a chosen planet from Pluto to the Moon. The API calculates observation geometry with optional observer altitude and observation time, returning whether the target sits below the local horizon. Paid plans let you set specific dates and return right ascension, declination, distances, sidereal time, and Cartesian position vectors.

What people use it for

Stargazing Tour Scheduling

When planning evening viewing sessions, astronomy guides check if target planets sit below the horizon at their field camp location and scheduled observation time.

Telescope Mount Pointing

Astrophotographers on paid plans calculate exact right ascension and declination coordinates to aim automated tracking mounts toward visible solar system targets.

Astrology Chart Generation

Natal chart software queries planetary bodies across specific dates on paid plans to map celestial positions for birth chart generation.

Planetarium Display Sync

To project accurate night sky exhibits, science museum kiosks query live planetary coordinates based on local building coordinates and viewing time.

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON

Default REST response

XML

Markup format

YAML

Human-readable

CSV

Tabular export

Beta

GraphQL

Query language

New

MCP

For AI agents

Request parameters — POST /v1/planetpositions

Sent as JSON in the request body. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them. Anything not listed here is dropped rather than passed through.

Required

Optional

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curl -X POST "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/planetpositions" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"lat":37.7749,"lon":-122.4194,"planet":"Moon","date":"2025-04-15 10:37:00","time":"value","alt":52}'

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — no token exchange, and no per-endpoint scope to configure.

Response — POST /v1/planetpositions

Every APIVerve endpoint returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "planet": "Moon",
    "isBelowHorizon": false,
    "date": "2025-04-15T10:37:00Z",
    "observer": {
      "latitude": 37.7749,
      "longitude": -122.4194
    },
    "rightAscension": {
      "hours": 15,
      "minutes": 13,
      "seconds": 11
    },
    "declination": {
      "degrees": -23,
      "minutes": 10,
      "seconds": 56
    },
    "distance": {
      "km": 402457.36,
      "lightTravelSeconds": 1.342,
      "astronomicalUnits": 0.003
    },
    "siderealTime": {
      "hours": 16,
      "minutes": 2,
      "seconds": 42
    },
    "hourAngle": {
      "hours": 0,
      "minutes": 49,
      "seconds": 31
    },
    "vectors": {
      "x": -0.0016452947779903913,
      "y": -0.0018463324771434563,
      "z": -0.0010590407236111441
    }
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Response headers

Every response carries your balance, so your own code always knows where it stands without polling anything. All four are exposed to browsers through CORS.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change.

What a call costs — 2 credits per call

Credits are shared across every APIVerve API — one balance, one key, one bill. Failed requests never count against it, so a rejected input costs nothing.

Calls are what the credits buy at this API's rate — spend them here, on any of the other APIs, or across both. Nothing is reserved per endpoint.

Zero-code embed — one snippet, no backend

Drop an interactive Planet Positions form onto any page. The widget calls the API for you, so no key ever appears in your markup and there is nothing to deploy.

Changelog — Planet Positions API

Every change to this endpoint, newest first. Breaking changes ship as a new version and the previous one keeps serving — response fields are added, never removed or retyped in place, so an integration written against v1 keeps working.

Currently v1