Horizons System

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class="navbar-collapse collapse"> <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right">  <li class="dropdown"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">About<br/> <span class="caret"></span></a> <ul class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-left"> <li><a href="/about/" class="">What does SSD do?</a></li> <li><a href="/faq.html" class="">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.html" class="">Sitemap</a></li> <li><a href="/contact/" class="">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="dropdown"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">Orbits &<br/>Ephemerides <span class="caret"></span></a> <ul class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-left"> <li><a href="/orbits.html" class="landing-page-item">Introduction</a></li> <li><a href="/horizons/" class="">Horizons System</a></li> <li><a href="/planets/orbits.html" class="">Planets</a></li> <li><a href="/sats/orbits.html" class="">Planetary Satellites</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/orbits.html" class="">Small Bodies</a></li> <li><a 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Observable?</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/meteor_streams.html" class="">Meteor Streams</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/targets.html" class="">Mission Targets</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/sats.html" class="">Satellites</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/radar.html" class="">Radar Astrometry</a></li> <li><a href="/diagrams/" class="">Diagrams and Charts</a></li> <li><a href="/tools/gravity.html" class="">Gravity Fields</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/great_comets.html" class="">Great Comets</a></li> <li><a href="/sb/neos.html" class="">Near-Earth Objects</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="dropdown"> <a href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">Tools<br/> <span class="caret"></span></a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li><a href="/tools/" class="landing-page-item">Description of Tools</a></li> <li><a href="/horizons/" class="">Horizons System</a></li> <li><a href="/ephem.html" class="">Download Ephemerides</a></li> <li><a href="/tools/sbdb_lookup.html" class="">Small-Body Database Lookup</a></li> <li><a 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class="">Observational Data</a></li> <li><a href="/tools/periodic_orbits.html" class="">Three-Body Periodic Orbits</a></li> <li><a href="/tools/orbit_diagram.html" class="">Custom Orbit Visualization</a></li> <li><a href="/api.html" class="">APIs</a></li> <li><a href="/doc/" class="">Technical Documents</a></li> <li><a href="/discovery.html" class="">Discovery Circumstances</a></li> <li><a href="/announcements/" class="">Announcements</a></li> <li><a href="/email_list.html" class="">Email Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary/" class="">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/links.html" class="">Related Sites</a></li> <li><a href="/faq.html" class="">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.html" class="">Sitemap</a></li> <li><a href="/contact/" class="">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav>   <ol id="breadcrumb" class="breadcrumb"> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/tools/">Tools</a></li> <li class="active">Horizons System</li> </ol>  <div class="fixed-content-margin"></div> </div>  <div id="main_content" tabindex="-1" class="container-fluid hide-tabindex">   <noscript> <div class="alert alert-danger"> <h4>Please enable JavaScript for this website.</h4> <p> This website makes extensive use of JavaScript. The top menus will not function without it and most tools will also not work. </p> <p> If you do not know how to enable JavaScript in your web browser, you should be able find instructions by searching the web for "enable javascript in my browser" (or similar). </p> </div> </noscript> <h1 class="no-top-margin">Horizons System</h1>  <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs" role="tablist"> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a href="/horizons/" aria-controls="about" role="tab">About</a> <li role="presentation"><a href="/horizons/app.html" aria-controls="app" role="tab">App</a> <li role="presentation"><a href="/horizons/manual.html" aria-controls="man" role="tab">Manual</a> <li role="presentation"><a href="/horizons/tutorial.html" aria-controls="tut" role="tab">Tutorial</a> <li role="presentation"><a href="/horizons/time_spans.html" aria-controls="span" role="tab">Time Spans</a> <li role="presentation"><a href="/horizons/news.html" aria-controls="news" role="tab">News</a> </ul> </div> </div>  <div class="row" ng-app="horizonsIntro" ng-controller="horizonsIntroCtrl"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <h3 id="about-horizons">About Horizons</h3> <div class="image-border pull-right image-space-right"> <figure style="display: table;"> <img class="img-responsive center-block" src="/images/horizons_cartoon.jpg" alt="Horizons Cartoon" width="300" /> <figcaption class="image-caption" style="display: table-caption; caption-side: bottom;"> <i>Pierre! Next time, use the Horizons Ephemeris Service...</i> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The JPL Horizons on-line solar system data and ephemeris computation service provides access to key solar system data and flexible production of highly accurate ephemerides for solar system objects <span ng-if="status=='busy'" class="text-nowrap">( <i class="fa fa-spinner fa-spin"></i> <em>loading…</em> ).</span> <span ng-if="status=='fail'" class="text-nowrap">( <em>unable to load body counts… please try later</em> ).</span> <span ng-if="status=='idle'"> ([[ data.ast.totalFormatted ]] asteroids, [[ data.com.totalFormatted ]] comets, [[ data.sat.count ]] planetary satellites {[[ data.sat.note ]]}, [[ data.planet.count ]] planets, the Sun, L1, L2, select spacecraft, and system barycenters).</span> Horizons is provided by the Solar System Dynamics Group of the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>.</p> <p>With a historically typical uptime of more than 99.9%, Horizons can be used for real-time operations; however, as with any networked system, users should expect the system to be available on a best-effort basis. <strong>We strongly recommend that planning for critical tasks relying on Horizons include an allowance for potential unforeseen outages.</strong></p> <p><a href="manual.html">Documentation</a> is available via the “<a href="manual.html">Manual</a>” tab above. Available <a href="time_spans.html">time-spans</a> for objects provided by Horizons can be viewed via the “<a href="time_spans.html">Time Spans</a>” tab above. When requesting an ephemeris for a specific object, you should ensure the requested time(s) are within the available <a href="time_spans.html">time-span</a> for that object.</p> <blockquote> <p>The Horizons system can be accessed through a variety of interfaces: <a href="#web">web</a>, <a href="#cmd">command-line</a>, <a href="#email">email</a>, and an <a href="#api">API</a>. Each interface is described below.</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12"> <h3 id="a-idweb-classanchorai-classfa-fa-cloud-aria-hiddentruei-web-interface"><a id="web" class="anchor"></a><i class="fa fa-cloud" aria-hidden="true"></i> Web Interface</h3> <p>The web-interface to Horizons is available via the “<a href="app.html">App</a>” tab above. <strong>New users</strong> are encouraged to use the <a href="tutorial.html">tutorial</a> and reference the <a href="manual.html">manual</a> when needed.</p> <p>Providing <em>nearly</em> all capabilities of the primary <a href="#cmd">command-line</a> interface, it does not provide the following.</p> <ul> <li><a href="manual.html#search">Small-body Population Searches</a> (use the <a href="/tools/sbdb_query.html">Small-Body Database Query Tool</a> as an alternative).</li> <li>Custom <a href="manual.html#ca">Close-Approach Tables</a></li> </ul> <h3 id="a-idcmd-classanchorai-classfa-fa-desktop-aria-hiddentruei-command-line-interface"><a id="cmd" class="anchor"></a><i class="fa fa-desktop" aria-hidden="true"></i> Command-Line Interface</h3> <p>The command-line (primary) interface to Horizons can be accessed directly by connecting to “horizons.jpl.nasa.gov” via port 6775. This will initiate a text-only “VT100” terminal command-line session that accesses all Horizons functions. You will be taken through a series of prompts that will ask you questions needed to generate the desired information. To initiate such an interactive session from a UNIX/LINUX system terminal, type the following:</p> <p><code>telnet horizons.jpl.nasa.gov 6775</code></p> <p>Once connected, type <code>?</code> from any prompt for help.</p> <p>Most MacOS and Windows telnet client programs have a dialog box in which the port number (6775) can be entered. If after connecting to “horizons.jpl.nasa.gov” you are prompted for a login name (not necessary for Horizons), it means the port 6775 request was not passed along by the software on your end. Some Windows terminal software does not fully implement the telnet protocol and does not send port numbers, even if you enter them.</p> <h3 id="a-idemail-classanchorai-classfa-fa-envelope-aria-hiddentruei-email-interface"><a id="email" class="anchor"></a><i class="fa fa-envelope" aria-hidden="true"></i> Email Interface</h3> <p>The Horizons system can be accessed using email to submit batch-style input files. Instructions on how to access the email server, including a complete detailed example, is available by sending an email message to horizons@ssd.jpl.nasa.gov with the subject “BATCH-LONG”. You can also access instructions via <a href="/ftp/ssd/horizons_batch_example.long">this link</a>.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>IMPORTANT</strong>: Please be sure your email client is sending content as plain ASCII text. Failure to do so may result in no response from the system or an error message, even when your job-content appears perfect from within your email client. Modern graphical e-mail systems often insert hidden font and formatting codes that Horizons cannot interpret. A helpful guide to suitably configure some email clients for plain-text is available via <a href="/dat/Configuring_Mail_Clients_to_Send_Plain_ASCII_Text.pdf">this link</a>. However, e-mail requests may now be most practical for those working in a UNIX/Linux/MacOS programmatic command-line and text editor environment.</p> </blockquote> <h3 id="a-idapi-classanchorai-classfa-fa-cog-aria-hiddentruei-api"><a id="api" class="anchor"></a><i class="fa fa-cog" aria-hidden="true"></i> API</h3> <p>The Horizons system can be accessed using an API. <a href="https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/horizons.html">Instructions</a> for using the API are available via the API server. The API is useful for programatic control of the Horizons system.</p> </div> </div>  <div id="footer" class="container-fluid footer"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-5 col-xs-12"> <img class="ssd-logo" src="/images/ssd_logo.png" alt="SSD Logo" /> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-12"> <div class="link-inv"> <a href="/sitemap.html"><i class="fa-fw fa fa-list-alt"></i> Site Map</a> </div> <div class="link-inv"> <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/caltechjpl-privacy-policies-and-important-notices"><i class="fa-fw fa fa-user-secret"></i> Privacy</a> </div> <div class="link-inv"> <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jpl-image-use-policy"><i class="fa-fw fa fa-picture-o"></i> Image Policy</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-4 col-xs-12"> <div class=" link-inv"> <a href="/contact/"><i class="fa-fw fa fa-envelope"></i> Contact Us</a> </div> <div class="text-smaller"> <span class="footer-label text-nowrap">Site Manager:</span> <span class="text-nowrap">Ryan Park</span> </div> <div class="text-smaller2"> <span class="footer-label text-nowrap">Site Design:</span> <span class="text-nowrap">Alan B. 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Horizons System