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CycleCalcs Astronomy

by com.cyclecalcs

Sky snapshot for a place and moment

astro_sky_today
Read-only

One-call snapshot of the whole sky for a place and moment: moon phase and illumination, which planets are up and worth looking at, the next eclipse, and (with a location) sun times. Reach for this first when the question is broad, like "what is in the sky tonight". For solar-day detail use astro_sun; for choosing an observing night use astro_dark_window; for one planet's exact position 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.
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.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
dataYesA whole-sky snapshot for one place and moment.
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 already declare readOnlyHint=true, so the description does not need to cover safety. It adds useful behavioral context: sun times are conditional on a location, and planet visibility is filtered to 'worth looking at'. It does not disclose potential errors or edge cases, but these are partially in the schema, so no contradiction.

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 two sentences that are dense with information: the first lists the content, the second provides usage guidance and alternatives. No filler; every clause earns its place.

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?

The description covers what the tool does, when to use it, and names alternatives. Given that an output schema exists and parameter descriptions are comprehensive, the description does not need to explain return values or error handling. It could mention the location-dependent attribution requirement, but that is already in the schema, so the context is sufficiently complete.

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 coverage is 100% and each parameter has a thorough description (e.g., date range restrictions, lat/lon ranges, location credit). The tool description adds minimal parameter-level meaning beyond noting that a location enables sun times. This meets the baseline for high schema coverage.

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 opens with 'One-call snapshot of the whole sky for a place and moment' and enumerates specific content (moon phase, planets up, next eclipse, sun times). This clearly states the tool's function and scope, and the phrase 'Reach for this first when the question is broad' distinguishes it from specialized siblings.

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 gives usage guidance: 'Reach for this first when the question is broad' and then names alternatives for specific needs (astro_sun, astro_dark_window, astro_positions). This tells the agent when to use this tool and when to choose a different one.

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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