MPCOBS - Extraction of observations of specific objects
The MPCOBS service allows a user to extract observations of specific minor planets, comets and natural satellites. It is intended for those who are interested in a handful of objects, rather than those who are interested in the complete data sets distributed via the MPCAT-OBS service. The observations available through this service include those published in the MPC/MPS and MPEC.There is a single form for extracting observations of minor planets, comets and natural satellites. As long as you follow the guidelines below when entering designations, the script will figure out what type of object you are trying to extract. You may mix the three classes of designations in a single request. You may optionally restrict extraction to observations made between certain dates or by certain observatory codes. Some guidelines on how to enter requests are available.
Use the feedback form to report comments or problems.
Extract observations
Guidelines
You are advised that some requests may return many thousands of observations. Other requests, because of the date/observatory code criteria chosen, may return no observations.
The general form for entering requests is as shown below:
<designation>[;<date>[-[<date>]][;<oc>[,<oc>...]]where <date> is a YYYYMMDD-format date, <oc> is a three-character observatory code and optional elements are shown enclosed by [...]. If multiple observatory codes are requested, separate the codes by commas. Placing a tilde character (~) as the first character of the observatory code list will suppress output of observations from the listed sites.
The valid forms for entering designations are shown below:
- Minor planet designations must be entered in one of the following forms:
- (2013), (132919) for numbered minor planets (unpacked form)
- 02013, D2919 for numbered minor planets (packed form)
- 2007 AA, 1981 EL22, 2006 SV361 for unnumbered minor planets (unpacked form)
- K07A00A, J81E22L, K06Sa1V for unnumbered minor planets (packed form)
- Comet designations must be entered in one of the following forms:
- 1P, 131P for numbered periodic comets (unpacked form)
- 0001P, 0131P for numbered periodic comets (packed form)
- C/2007 K6, P/2007 H3 for other comets (unpacked form)
- CK07K060, PK07H030 for other comets (packed form)
- Satellite designations must be entered in one of the following forms:
- Saturn IX, Jupiter XXXVII for numbered satellites (unpacked form)
- S009S, J037S for numbered satellites (packed form)
- S/2001 J 1 for unnumbered satellites (note the spaces after the year and the planet initial)
- SK01J010 for unnumbered satellites (packed form)
(91) # All observations of (91) (132133) # All observations of (132133) 4P # All observations of 4P Saturn IX # All observations of Saturn IX 73P;19891209-19891228 # Observations of 73P made between 1989 Dec. 9 and 28 (inclusive) 2007 AA;20070102 # Observations of 2007 AA made on 2007 Jan. 2 2007 AA;20070102 # Observations of 2007 AA made on 2007 Jan. 2 1P;-18380101 # Observations of 1P made on or before 1838 Jan. 1 (3202);1990- # Observations of (3202) made on or after 1990 Jan. 1 (3202);-1920 # Observations of (3202) made before or on 1920 Dec. 31. K07H44G;20070502;J95 # Observations of 2007 HG44 made at observatory code J95 on 2007 May 2 (433);;532,538 # Observations of (433) made at observatory codes 532 and 538 (69230);;~J95 # Observations of (69230) made at observatory codes other than J95
