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MPC_ORB JSON Format

The MPC_ORB JSON format provides a JSON representation of orbital elements and related parameters for standard epoch orbits. It represents the Minor Planet Center's effort to establish a standardized format for exchanging orbital data across different institutions and software packages.

Python Package

The MPC maintains the mpc_orb package in the mpc-public repository. It can be installed via pip:

pip install mpc_orb

The package provides:

  • Format descriptions
  • Multiple format examples
  • Python code for schema validation
  • Python parsing utilities

Schema

The complete schema is available in mpcorb_schema_latest.json.

Note

While the schema version is still 0.x, the schema is subject to change.

Accessing MPC_ORB Data

MPC_ORB JSON is available as an output option when querying the Orbits API.

Feedback

Community feedback is welcomed through the MPC helpdesk.