MOST Application Program Interface (API)

The MOST API allows scripting of requests via a command-line call. An example:

Calls when using orbital elements are slightly different for asteroids and comets:

Asteroid

Comet

And similarly for MPC input:

Asteroid

Comet

Adjustable keywords:

keyword required? description values
catalog required Dataset catalog name. NOTE: Dataset needs to be moving-object search enabled. Current moving-object enabled datasets:
2MASS: 2mass
Spitzer BCD: spitzer_bcd
PTF: ptf
ZTF: ztf
WISE/NEOWISE Merged: wise_merge
WISE All-Sky 4-band: wise_allsky_4band
WISE 3band: wise_allsky_3band
WISE 2band: wise_allsky_2band
NEOWISE-R: wise_neowiser
NEOWISE-R (By Year): wise_neowiser_yr1, etc.
outfmt optional Output format Regular: Normal HTML
Full: Full HTML
Brief: ASCII table
VOTable: VO Table
obs_begin optional Earliest observation date (UT) to include yyyy+mm+dd+hh:mm:ss
obs_end optional Latest observation date (UT) to include yyyy+mm+dd+hh:mm:ss
ephem_step optional ephemeris time step (day) default=0.25 day
input_type required Type of input name_input = by name or number
naifid_input = by NAIF ID
mpc_input = orbital elements in MPC format
manual_input = orbital elements
obj_name required for name input Name or numeric designation of object e.g "324" or "Bamberga" (asteroid) or "29P" (comet)
obj_naifid required for NAIF ID input Name or numeric designation of object e.g 899 for Neptune
obj_type required for MPC input Solar-system object type Asteroid or Comet
obj_type_elm obj_type or obj_type_elm required for orbital elements input Solar-system object type Asteroid or Comet
mpc_data required for MPC input MPC string See Gator Moving Object help page.
semimajor_axis/perih_dist required for orbital
elements input
Semi-major axis (asteroid) or
perihelion distance (comet) in AU
>0
eccentricity required for orbital
elements input
Eccentricity of orbit 0.0-1.0
inclination required for orbital
elements input
Inclination of orbit (deg) 0.0-180.0
arg_perihelion required for orbital
elements input
Argument of perihelion (deg) 0.0-360.0
ascend_node required for orbital
elements input
Longitude of ascending node (deg) 0.0-360.0
mean_anomaly/perih_time required for orbital
elements input
Mean anomaly (asteroid) in deg, or
perihelion time (comet) in
yyyy+mm+dd+hh:mm:ss
0.0-360.0 for mean anomaly
body_designation required for orbital elements input Designation for returned ephemeris e.g. Bamberga
epoch required for orbital
elements input
Epoch of coordinates in MJD
(Modified Julian Date)
e.g. 55203.0 for start of WISE mission