Overview
What is Mcp Stargazing?
Mcp Stargazing calculates the altitude, azimuth, rise, and set times of celestial objects (Sun, Moon, planets, stars, and deep-space objects) for any location on Earth. It is a Python library designed for astronomers, educators, and anyone needing precise celestial positions.
How to use Mcp Stargazing?
Install dependencies with pip install astropy pytz numpy astroquery. Then use the functions celestial_pos and celestial_rise_set from the src.celestial module, passing an observer location (as an astropy.coordinates.EarthLocation), a timezone-aware datetime, and the celestial object name.
Key features of Mcp Stargazing
- Altitude/azimuth calculation for any celestial object
- Rise/set times with configurable horizon elevation
- Supports solar system objects, stars, and deep-space objects
- Time zone aware – works with local or UTC times
- Returns UTC times for rise and set events
Use cases of Mcp Stargazing
- Plan an evening of stargazing by knowing when planets and stars will be visible
- Compute the Sun’s position for solar panel alignment or photography
- Determine moonrise/moonset for outdoor event planning
- Simulate celestial positions for educational demonstrations
FAQ from Mcp Stargazing
What celestial objects are supported?
Solar system objects (Sun, Moon, planets), named stars (e.g., "sirius"), and deep-space objects (e.g., "andromeda", "orion_nebula").
What are the required dependencies?
The package requires astropy, pytz, numpy, and astroquery. Install them via pip.
How are rise and set times returned?
celestial_rise_set returns two astropy.time.Time objects (rise and set) in UTC. You can convert them to local time as needed.
Does Mcp Stargazing support time zones?
Yes. All input times should be timezone-aware datetimes (or an Astropy Time object). The outputs are in UTC.
What is horizon in rise/set calculation?
The horizon parameter (default 0°) defines the elevation angle above which the object is considered “risen”. Use a negative value for civil twilight, etc.
