Metadata-Version: 1.0
Name: WhatsObservable
Version: 0.1.2
Summary: Determine which small solar system bodies are observable from a given location at a given time
Home-page: http://github.com/henryroe/WhatsObservable
Author: Henry Roe
Author-email: hroe@hroe.me
License: LICENSE.txt
Description: 
        ===============
        WhatsObservable
        ===============
        
        WhatsObservable is used for determining which minor planets (and comets) 
        are observable at a given time from a given location on Earth.  
        
        WhatsObservable determines the locations of objects using the routines
        of [PyEphem](http://rhodesmill.org/pyephem/) and the
        [Minor Planet Center's Orbit Database](http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPCORB/MPCORB.DAT).
        *Note that at least for the time being the user must download this file 
        separately and WhatsObservable will find it on disk.*
        
        The intent is to replicate the functionality available at the [JPL Solar System
        Dynamics Small Body Whats Observable web page](http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbwobs.cgi).
        The motivation for writing WhatsObservable was to provide this capability when
        offline and in an easily scriptable manner.  
        
        NOTE: The precision of PyEphem with the MPC Orbit Database is good, especially for
        dates near the orbital epoch, but is not nearly as good as what is available 
        directly from the [JPL Horizons System](http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons).  Even
        near the orbital epoch errors of a few arcseconds are not uncommon.  Use this
        tool at your own risk and if precision matters, refer back directly to the
        [JPL Horizons System](http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons).
        
        A typical usage is:
        
            import datetime
            from whatsobservable import minorplanets
        
            objects = minorplanets(datetime.datetime(2013, 9, 1, 10, 0), 
                                   568,   # 568 is the observatory code for Mauna Kea
                                   max_objects=5, max_magnitude=12., max_zenithdistance_deg=60.0)
            print objects
        
        Note that the return is a pandas.DataFrame
        
        ===============
        
        Originally written 2013-09-07 by Henry Roe (hroe@hroe.me)
        
Platform: UNKNOWN
