astronomy-js

AstronomyJS

Astronomical calculations in JavaScript.

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🚀 See It in Action!

These tiles were generated using the astronomy-svg library.

👉 Check out the live demo here

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📖 API Reference

AstronomyJS

The main class to interact with the library.

Static Methods

• initialize(latitude, longitude)
  • Initializes a new AstronomyJS instance with the given coordinates on Earth.
  • Parameters:
    • latitude (number): Latitude in degrees.
    • longitude (number): Longitude in degrees.
  • Returns: AstronomyJS instance.
  • Example:

    const astronomy = AstronomyJS.initialize(52.52, 13.405);
    // Returns: AstronomyJS { ... }
    

Instance Methods

• setDate(date)
  • Sets the simulation date.
  • Parameters:
    • date (Date object): The new simulation date.
  • Example:

    astronomy.setDate(new Date("2024-03-20T12:00:00Z"));
    

• getDate()
  • Returns the current simulation date.
  • Returns: The current simulation Date object.
  • Example:

    const date = astronomy.getDate();
    // Returns: 2024-03-20T12:00:00.000Z
    

• setJulianDate(julianDate)
  • Sets the simulation date using Julian Date.
  • Parameters:
    • julianDate (number): The new Julian Date.
  • Example:

    astronomy.setJulianDate(2460389.5);
    

• getJulianDate()
  • Returns the current Julian Date.
  • Returns: The current Julian Date (number).
  • Example:

    const julianDate = astronomy.getJulianDate();
    // Returns: 2460389.5
    

• setLocation(objectName, latitude, longitude, elevation)
  • Sets the observer’s location.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the solar system body (e.g., “Earth”).
    • latitude (number): Latitude in degrees.
    • longitude (number): Longitude in degrees.
    • elevation (number): Elevation from surface in meters.
  • Example:

    astronomy.setLocation("Earth", 48.8566, 2.3522, 35);
    

• getAltitudeAzimuthCoordinatesForObject(objectName, [referenceDate])
  • Calculates Altitude and Azimuth for a given object.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the object (e.g., “Sun”, “Moon”, “Mars”).
    • referenceDate (Date, optional): Overrides the instance date.
  • Returns: Object with azimuth, altitude, and distance.
  • Example:

    const coordinates = astronomy.getAltitudeAzimuthCoordinatesForObject("Sun");
    /*
    Returns:
    {
      "azimuth": 185.23,
      "altitude": 42.15,
      "distance": 0.9958,
      "observerLocation": { ... }
    }
    */
    

• getRightAscensionDeclinationCoordinatesForObject(objectName, [referenceDate])
  • Calculates Right Ascension and Declination.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the object (e.g., “Sun”).
    • referenceDate (Date, optional): Overrides the instance date.
  • Returns: Object with rightAscension, declination, and distance.
  • Example:

    const coordinates = astronomy.getRightAscensionDeclinationCoordinatesForObject("Sun");
    /*
    Returns:
    {
      "rightAscension": 358.12,
      "declination": -1.25,
      "distance": 0.9958,
      "observerLocation": { ... }
    }
    */
    

• getHourAngleDeclinationCoordinatesForObject(objectName, [referenceDate])
  • Calculates Hour Angle and Declination.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the object (e.g., “Sun”).
    • referenceDate (Date, optional): Overrides the instance date.
  • Returns: Object with hourAngle, declination, and distance.
  • Example:

    const coordinates = astronomy.getHourAngleDeclinationCoordinatesForObject("Sun");
    /*
    Returns:
    {
      "hourAngle": 15.45,
      "declination": -1.25,
      "distance": 0.9958
    }
    */
    

• getIlluminatedFractionForObject(objectName, [referenceDate])
  • Calculates the illuminated fraction for light coming from the Sun for a given object.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the object (e.g., “Moon”).
    • referenceDate (Date, optional): Overrides the instance date.
  • Returns: Number between 0 and 1 representing the illuminated fraction.
  • Example:

    const illuminatedFraction = astronomy.getIlluminatedFractionForObject("Moon");
    /*
    Returns: 0.253
    */
    

• getEphemerisDateForObject(objectName, referenceDate, ephemerisTypeName)
  • Finds the date of an ephemeris event (e.g., “Rise”, “Set”).
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): e.g., “Sun”.
    • referenceDate (Date): The date to search around.
    • ephemerisTypeName (string): e.g., “SUNRISE”, “SUNSET”, “CIVIL_TWILIGHT_START”.
  • Returns: Date or null.
  • Example:

    const sunrise = astronomy.getEphemerisDateForObject("Sun", new Date(), "SUNRISE");
    // Returns: 2024-03-20T06:15:22.000Z
    

• getLocalMeanSiderealTime()
  • Returns the Local Mean Sidereal Time in degrees.
  • Returns: Local Mean Sidereal Time in degrees (number).
  • Example:

    const localMeanSiderealTime = astronomy.getLocalMeanSiderealTime();
    // Returns: 185.45
    

• getLatitudeLongitudeCoordinates()
  • Returns the current observer’s latitude and longitude.
  • Returns: Object with the current observer’s latitude and longitude.
  • Example:

    const coordinates = astronomy.getLatitudeLongitudeCoordinates();
    /*
    Returns:
    {
      "latitude": 52.52,
      "longitude": 13.405
    }
    */
    

• getObserverLocation()
  • Returns the full observer location details.
  • Returns: Full ObserverLocation object or null.
  • Example:

    const location = astronomy.getObserverLocation();
    // Returns: ObserverLocation { longitude: 13.405, latitude: 52.52, ... }
    

• getSkyObjectByName(objectName)
  • Retrieves a sky object’s data by its name.
  • Parameters:
    • objectName (string): Name of the object (e.g., “Jupiter”).
  • Returns: SolarSystemObject data or null.
  • Example:

    const jupiter = astronomy.getSkyObjectByName("Jupiter");
    // Returns: Jupiter { name: "Jupiter", ... }
    

🪐 Supported Objects and Ephemeris Types

The library includes data for major solar system bodies and various ephemeris events.

Common Objects

• Sun, Moon
• Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• Dwarf Planets: Pluto

Ephemeris Types

Use these names with getEphemerisDateForObject:

• RISE, SET, SUNRISE, SUNSET, MOONRISE, MOONSET
• CIVIL_TWILIGHT_START, CIVIL_TWILIGHT_END
• NAUTICAL_TWILIGHT_START, NAUTICAL_TWILIGHT_END
• ASTRONOMICAL_TWILIGHT_START, ASTRONOMICAL_TWILIGHT_END
• GOLDEN_HOUR_START, GOLDEN_HOUR_END

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🪐 Supported Calculations

• Right Ascension and Declination for celestial body
• Hour Angle and Declination for celestial body
• Altitude and Azimuth for celestial body
• Ephemeris for the Sun (astronomical twilight, nautical twilight, civil twilight)
• Ephemeris for celestial body (rise, set)

• 🔭 Includes Pluto!

Quickstart

🌐 Using the Browser-Ready Minified Script

<script type="text/javascript" src="astronomy-js.min.js"></script>
// latitude, longitude
let astronomyJS = AstronomyJS.initialize(56.2, 18.1)
astronomyJS.getAltitudeAzimuthCoordinatesForObject("Sun");

🌟 Installation (npm)

npm install astronomy-js

Using the JavaScript ES Module

import { AstronomyJS } from "astronomy-js";
// latitude, longitude
let astronomyJS = AstronomyJS.initialize(56.2, 18.1)
astronomyJS.getAltitudeAzimuthCoordinatesForObject("Sun");

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — feel free to use, modify, and share it.
Please make sure to retain the original license and attribution when reusing or modifying the code.
See the LICENSE file for full details.

🌌 About

This library provides astronomical calculations for leisure purposes only. Some important basic aspects are not implemented, such as:

• Atmospheric refraction
• Orbit perturbations

📚 References

US Naval Observatory, Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, 1992

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