# NASA JPL Fireball Events Scraper (`parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes NASA JPL fireball events with filters for date range, minimum total radiated energy, and location availability. Returns each event as a flat row.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### NASA JPL Fireball Events Scraper

**Scrape NASA JPL fireball event data, from any date range, up to a million events per run.** Each event includes its date, location, total radiated energy, and computed impact details. No API key or login required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

NASA's public fireball API returns raw JSON with nested fields and no easy way to filter by date or energy. This Actor reads the NASA JPL Fireball Events feed directly, applies your filters as each event is read, and returns every match in one flat, consistent row. You get clean, analysis-ready data without writing a single line of code.

| Who uses it | What they scrape NASA JPL Fireball Events for |
|---|---|
| Astronomy researchers | Build a chronological dataset of fireball events for statistical analysis |
| Meteorite hunters | Find recent fireball events with reported locations to plan field searches |
| Science journalists | Pull the latest fireball events for news stories and visualizations |
| Educators | Collect real fireball data for classroom projects on meteors and impacts |

### What it does

This Actor collects NASA JPL fireball events by date range, minimum total radiated energy, and location availability, and returns each event as a flat row.

- 📅 **Date range filter:** return only events between Date From and Date To, in UTC.
- ⚡ **Energy threshold:** set a minimum total radiated energy in joules x 10^10 to focus on larger events.
- 📍 **Location required:** toggle to return only events with reported latitude and longitude.
- 🔢 **Result limit:** cap the number of events per run, from 1 to 1,000,000, newest first.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with NASA JPL Fireball Events data

**🔭 Build a fireball research dataset.**

An astronomy researcher sets a date range of the last five years and collects all events with energy above 1 joule x 10^10 to study frequency and energy distribution.

**🗺️ Plan a meteorite hunt.**

A meteorite hunter filters for events in the last month with reported locations and exports the CSV to map potential fall zones.

**📰 Report on recent fireballs.**

A science journalist runs the Actor weekly with no filters to get the newest events and writes a story on notable fireball activity.

**🏫 Teach with real data.**

An educator collects fireball events from the past year and has students plot locations and energies to understand meteor phenomena.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key** | The NASA JPL Fireball API is public and requires no authentication. |
| **Flat output** | Every event is returned as one row with consistent fields, ready for spreadsheets. |
| **Flexible filters** | Filter by date, energy, and location before data is stored. |
| **Scalable** | Collect up to a million events in a single run. |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets NASA JPL Fireball Events the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | NASA JPL Fireball Events Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When NASA JPL Fireball Events changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor with an optional date range, a minimum total radiated energy, and a location requirement, and set a maximum number of events to return. Filters run as each event is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.004 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.40 |
| 1,000 results | $4.00 |
| 10,000 results | $40.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [NASA JPL Fireball Events Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to NASA JPL Fireball Events through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check your filters. A date range that is too narrow or a high minimum energy can exclude all events. Try widening the date range or lowering the energy threshold.

**Why are some events missing a location?**

Not all fireball events have a reported latitude and longitude. Enable Require Location to return only events with location data.

**What does the energy value mean?**

The total radiated energy is in joules x 10^10. For example, a value of 1 means 10^10 joules. Use the minimum energy filter to focus on larger events.

**Can I get more than 1,000,000 events?**

The maximum per run is 1,000,000. If you need more, split your request into smaller date ranges and run the Actor multiple times.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a fireball event? | A fireball is a very bright meteor, typically brighter than Venus. NASA JPL records these events with estimated energy, location, and timing. |
| Do I need an API key? | No. The NASA JPL Fireball API is public and does not require authentication. This Actor handles the request for you. |
| What date format should I use? | Use YYYY-MM-DD for dates or YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss for date-times, in UTC. For example, 2020-01-01 or 2020-01-01T12:00:00. |
| What does total radiated energy mean? | It is the estimated total energy radiated by the fireball in the atmosphere, measured in joules x 10^10. Higher values mean larger events. |
| Can I get only events with a location? | Yes. Enable the Require Location option to return only events that have a reported latitude and longitude. |
| How many events can I collect? | You can set the maximum events per run from 1 to 1,000,000. The newest events are returned first. |
| What output formats are supported? | You can export the results to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset. |
| Is the data updated? | The Actor reads the live NASA JPL Fireball API each run, so you always get the latest events available. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many fireball events to collect per run.

## `dateMin` (type: `string`):

Only return events on or after this UTC date or date-time. Accepts YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss. Leave empty for no lower bound.

## `dateMax` (type: `string`):

Only return events on or before this UTC date or date-time. Accepts YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss. Leave empty for no upper bound.

## `energyMin` (type: `number`):

Only return events whose total radiated energy in joules x 10^10 is at least this value. Leave empty for no minimum.

## `requireLocation` (type: `boolean`):

When enabled, only events that have a reported latitude and longitude are returned.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "dateMin": "2020-01-01",
  "dateMax": "2026-06-01",
  "energyMin": 1,
  "requireLocation": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "maxItems": 10 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/jpl-fireball-events-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/eR0cZvIc9MeS6qmOr/builds/QwHtI5j70P4s0GTVJ/openapi.json