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CycleCalcs Astronomy

by com.cyclecalcs

All planets at a glance

astro_planet_board
Read-only

All eight planets in one call for a date and optional location: constellation, magnitude, apparent size, elongation from the Sun, morning or evening sky, retrograde state with the next station, rise/set, and a worth-looking-tonight assessment. The right tool for "which planets are visible tonight". For exact coordinates of specific bodies use astro_positions.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
tzNoIANA timezone like "Europe/Lisbon" to render event times in local time. Optional; a resolved place supplies its own timezone.
latNoLatitude in decimal degrees, north positive. Send lat and lon together.
lonNoLongitude in decimal degrees, east positive (Lisbon is about -9.14). Send lat and lon together.
dateNoISO 8601 UTC date or datetime, e.g. "2026-08-06" or "2026-08-06T21:00:00Z". Omit for the current moment. Years 1700 to 2200 only; outside that range the API refuses with DATE_OUT_OF_RANGE because the ephemeris is not reliable there.
sortNoOptional result ordering. Default is by distance from the Sun.
placeNoPlace name instead of lat/lon, as "City" or "City,CC" with an ISO country code, e.g. "Lisbon,PT". Resolved server-side; the response then carries a required GeoNames CC BY 4.0 credit in its attribution field, which must be preserved when shown.
bodiesNoOptional subset of planets: mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, pluto.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
dataYesWhich planets are worth looking at right now, and where.
rightsNoEither unrestricted, or attribution_required when third-party place data was used. When attribution_required, the attribution line must be shown.
warningsNoMachine-readable notices about this answer. Present only when non-empty. Never changes whether the call succeeded.
attributionNoThe credit line to display verbatim when rights is attribution_required.
next_cursorNoPresent only when more rows exist. Send it back with the SAME start/end arguments as the first call to get the next page.
not_computedNoData this API deliberately does not serve, and why. Present only when the question touched such a field. An absence named here is information: treat it as "withheld", never as "none exists".

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, and the description adds meaningful behavioral detail: it lists the specific computed fields (retrograde state with next station, worth-looking-tonight assessment, etc.) and stresses 'one call'. This goes beyond the annotation while remaining consistent.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is exceptionally concise: two sentences, the first front-loading the core purpose and data fields, the second adding use-case and alternative. Every sentence earns its place without redundancy.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Despite the tool having 7 parameters and an output schema, the description covers the essential context: what data is returned, when to use it, and a pointer to an alternative tool. It does not need to explain return values because output schema exists, and the description fully equips an agent to select and invoke the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema provides 100% parameter coverage, so the baseline is 3. The description adds no additional parameter-level information beyond what the schema already states, such as 'optional location'. It does not reference parameters like date, bodies, or sort.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'All eight planets in one call for a date and optional location' and enumerates the exact data fields returned (constellation, magnitude, apparent size, elongation, etc.). It also differentiates from sibling tool astro_positions by noting 'For exact coordinates of specific bodies use astro_positions.'

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description explicitly identifies when to use this tool: 'The right tool for "which planets are visible tonight"' and provides an alternative: 'For exact coordinates of specific bodies use astro_positions.' This gives the agent clear guidance on tool selection.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All CycleCalcs Astronomy toolsInspect
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TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

Each tool targets a distinct observational need: dark windows, eclipses, geocoding, moon state, phase calendar, planet overview, planet events, precise positions, rise/set times, broad snapshot, and solar day. Cross-references among descriptions prevent ambiguity despite overlapping data like rise/set times appearing in several tools.

Naming Consistency4/5

All tools share the astro_ prefix and use snake_case, creating a predictable pattern. The naming is mostly noun-based (the object of interest), but astro_find_place and astro_rise_set break the pure-noun pattern, introducing a slight inconsistency.

Tool Count5/5

With 11 tools, the server covers the major areas of practical astronomy without redundancy. Each tool provides a distinct calculation or data set, and the count fits the expected scope for an astronomy API.

Completeness4/5

The tool set covers solar, lunar, planetary, eclipse, positional, and visibility needs comprehensively. However, there is no explicit tool for equinoxes and solstices, which would be a natural inclusion for a cycle-focused astronomy server, creating a minor gap.

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