libephemeris 1.0.0a13

A high-precision, open-source astronomical ephemeris library for Python, powered by Skyfield.

LibEphemeris

A high-precision astronomical ephemeris library for Python, powered by NASA JPL data and modern IAU standards. API-compatible drop-in replacement for PySwissEph.

[!NOTE] Alpha 1.0.0 -- API is stabilizing. Breaking changes will be documented in the changelog.

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Features

• NASA JPL ephemerides -- all calculations use DE440/DE441 (2021) exclusively via Skyfield. No analytical fallbacks.
• Three calculation backends -- Skyfield (pure JPL), LEB (precomputed Chebyshev, ~14x speedup), and Horizons API (zero-install, no local files needed).
• IAU standard transforms -- nutation (IAU 2006/2000A), precession (IAU 2006), obliquity via the official ERFA library.
• Physical planet centers -- outer planets corrected from system barycenters to true body centers using JPL satellite ephemerides.
• Sub-arcsecond precision -- all planets < 1", house cusps < 0.02", independently verified against JPL Horizons and astropy/ERFA. Full report.
• Pure Python -- fully testable, readable, documented. No C extensions.

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Installation

pip install libephemeris

Works immediately -- the library fetches data from NASA JPL Horizons API when no local files are present. For offline use or faster calculations, download ephemeris files:

libephemeris download:medium      # JPL DE440 (~128 MB), recommended

Requirements: Python 3.9+ | Optional extras: [nbody], [stars], [all]

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Quick Start

import libephemeris as swe
from libephemeris.constants import SE_SUN, SE_MOON, SEFLG_SPEED

jd = swe.julday(2000, 1, 1, 12.0)  # J2000.0

sun, _ = swe.calc_ut(jd, SE_SUN, SEFLG_SPEED)
moon, _ = swe.calc_ut(jd, SE_MOON, SEFLG_SPEED)

print(f"Sun:  {sun[0]:.4f} deg, speed {sun[3]:.4f} deg/day")
print(f"Moon: {moon[0]:.4f} deg, speed {moon[3]:.4f} deg/day")

# House cusps (Placidus, Rome)
cusps, ascmc = swe.houses(swe.julday(2024, 11, 5, 18.0), 41.9028, 12.4964, b"P")
print(f"ASC: {ascmc[0]:.4f}, MC: {ascmc[1]:.4f}")

More examples: Getting Started

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Calculation Backends

LibEphemeris supports three backends with automatic fallback:

LEB (~5 us/eval)  -->  Horizons API (~300ms)  -->  Skyfield/DE440 (~120 us/eval)

Mode	Behavior	Use case
"auto" (default)	LEB if configured, then Horizons if no DE440, then Skyfield	Works everywhere
"leb"	LEB precomputed only	Maximum performance
"horizons"	NASA JPL Horizons API only	Zero-install, serverless, CI
"skyfield"	Skyfield/DE440 only	Offline, maximum precision

from libephemeris import set_calc_mode

set_calc_mode("horizons")  # Or via env: LIBEPHEMERIS_MODE=horizons

All backends produce the same positions (sub-arcsecond agreement). The default "auto" mode always works -- with or without local data files.

Backend	Details
Skyfield	Pure JPL DE440/DE441 via Skyfield. Gold standard. Ephemeris tiers
LEB	Precomputed Chebyshev polynomials, ~14x speedup. LEB Guide
LEB2	Compressed LEB format (4-10x smaller). Core bodies (~8.7 MB) ship in the PyPI wheel. LEB2 details
Horizons	NASA JPL Horizons REST API. No local files needed. Horizons Guide

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Precision

Measured across 4,400+ comparison rounds. Full precision report.

Category	Typical	Max	Notes
Planets (Sun-Pluto)	0.04-0.26"	0.75"	Sub-arcsecond, all planets
Moon	0.70"	3.32"	Different lunar models
House cusps	< 0.01"	0.02"	All 24 systems tested
Fixed stars	< 0.1"	0.51"	116 Hipparcos stars
Solar eclipses	--	< 6s	Timing precision
Lunar eclipses	--	< 8s	Timing precision
Ayanamsha	< 0.001 deg	0.006 deg	43 sidereal modes

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Flags Reference

Flags control what is calculated and how results are returned. Combine with |.

Flag	Effect
SEFLG_SPEED	Populate speed fields (almost always needed)
SEFLG_HELCTR	Heliocentric observer
SEFLG_TOPOCTR	Topocentric observer (set position with set_topo())
SEFLG_EQUATORIAL	Output RA/Dec instead of ecliptic lon/lat
SEFLG_J2000	J2000.0 frame instead of equinox of date
SEFLG_SIDEREAL	Sidereal zodiac (requires set_sid_mode())
SEFLG_TRUEPOS	Geometric position (no light-time/aberration)
SEFLG_NOABERR	Astrometric position (no aberration)

Full flag reference with examples: docs/reference/flags.md

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Documentation

Guides

• Getting Started -- installation, ephemeris tiers, first calculations
• Migration from PySwissEph
• Precision Tuning
• Computation Tracing -- discover which backend computed each body

Architecture

• LEB Binary Ephemeris -- format, reader, generation, fast-path pipeline
• Horizons API Backend -- HTTP client, pipeline, modes, precision
• Architecture Overview

Reference

• Precision Report
• Flag Reference
• Known Divergences
• House Systems
• Ayanamsha Modes

Methodology

• Overview
• Planet Centers
• Lunar Apsides
• True Lilith
• pyerfa Integration

Manuals

• Manuale (IT) -- introduzione ai calcoli astrologici per principianti, 15 capitoli
• Manual (EN) -- beginner's guide to astrological calculations, 15 chapters

Development

• Testing -- test suites, commands, coverage
• Roadmap
• Changelog

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CLI Commands

# Download ephemeris data
libephemeris download:base         # DE440s (~35 MB), 1850-2150
libephemeris download:medium       # DE440 (~130 MB), 1550-2650 (recommended)
libephemeris download:extended     # DE441 (~3.3 GB), -13200 to +17191

# Status and version
libephemeris status                # Show installed data files
libephemeris --version

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Development

git clone https://github.com/g-battaglia/libephemeris.git
cd libephemeris && uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

Key commands (full list):

Command	Description
poe test:unit:fast	Unit tests, parallel (~1 min)
poe test:leb2:precision:all	LEB2 compression precision (all tiers)
poe test:horizons:quick	Horizons API precision (~15s)
poe test:compare	Cross-validate vs reference
poe lint	Ruff linter
poe format	Ruff formatter

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License

AGPL-3.0. See LICENSE.