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CycleCalcs Astronomy

by com.cyclecalcs

Precise positions of bodies

astro_positions
Read-only

Exact positions for up to 20 bodies at an instant or over a time grid: right ascension and declination in both J2000 and of-date frames, ecliptic longitude and latitude, distance, and, with a location, altitude and azimuth with refraction stated per field. Use for "where exactly is X". Do not pass earth. For rise and set TIMES use astro_rise_set; for a visibility overview of all planets use astro_planet_board.

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.
endNoGrid end. ISO 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.
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.
stepNoGrid stride, e.g. "1h", "10min", "1d".
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.
startNoGrid start (use with end and step). ISO 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.
bodiesYesBodies to report. Each entry: One of sun, moon, mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, pluto, or a fixed J2000 target as "radec:RA,DEC" with RA in hours (0-24) and DEC in degrees (-90..90), e.g. "radec:5.6,-5.4" for the Orion Nebula region.
cursorNoOpaque pagination cursor from a previous result's next_cursor. Send it with the same start/end arguments as the first page.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
dataYesWhere each requested body is, at an instant or sampled across a range.
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

A4.4/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=false. The description adds behavioral context beyond this: it discloses that altitude and azimuth are only available 'with a location' and that refraction is 'stated per field', plus the input constraint 'Do not pass earth'. No contradiction with annotations.

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 three sentences that front-load the core purpose, then give usage guidance and sibling alternatives. Every sentence earns its place, with no redundant filler.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a 10-parameter tool, the description effectively covers the main use case, output richness, and alternatives. Date-range limits and pagination are handled in the schema, and an output schema exists, so the description need not explain return values. It is complete for tool selection and invocation.

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?

Schema covers all 10 parameters with detailed descriptions, so the baseline is 3. The description adds minor meaning such as 'Do not pass earth' (relates to bodies) and 'with a location' (explains lat/lon purpose), but does not add significant syntax or format details beyond the schema.

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 it provides 'Exact positions for up to 20 bodies at an instant or over a time grid' and lists the specific coordinate frames and quantities (RA/DEC in J2000 and of-date, ecliptic longitude/latitude, distance, alt/az). It also distinguishes itself from siblings by explicitly naming astro_rise_set and astro_planet_board for other tasks.

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?

It explicitly states when to use the tool: 'Use for "where exactly is X"' and provides alternatives: 'For rise and set TIMES use astro_rise_set; for a visibility overview of all planets use astro_planet_board.' It also gives a constraint 'Do not pass earth' which is a clear usage guideline.

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

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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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