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Solar System Search options

SkyServer allows you to search its database. You can find any objects you are interested in. This section of the site allows you to search for asteroids. To search the rest of the SkyServer database, see the full SkyServer Search pages.

A search of a database is called a query. A query is a request for information. You specify what data you want, and what conditions you want the data to satisfy. For example, you might ask the database to return the positions of all asteroids in a certain area of sky.

Queries are written in a computer language called Structured Query Language (SQL).

 

To search the database for asteroids, select one of the following tools:

  • Search Form:  Search the sky by selecting choices from an online form (EASY)
  • SQL:  Type in an SQL query directly (HARDER)

    • The names and units of fields on the query pages and results:

    • readdes is the number and name of the asteroid
    • ra, dec are the sky coordinates of the asteroids on September 22nd, 2006.
    • ecli_long, ecli_lat are the ecliptic coordinates of the asteroids on September 22nd, 2006.
    • a, e, i are the orbital elements of the asteroids.
      • a is the semi-major axis.
      • e is the eccentricity (degree of elongation) of the orbit.
      • i is the inclination (angle between the orbit and the ecliptic plane).

    The output options and formats on the query pages

    • Format: the output format
      • It can be HTML, when a formatted web page is returned
      • It can be CSV, when a comma separated, unformatted text is returned, with one header line and subsequent objects in a new line, attributed separated by a comma
      • It can be XML, not yet implemented