# SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper (`parseforge/simbad-astro-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes astronomical objects from SIMBAD using an optional ADQL where clause. Returns each object as a flat row with identifier, coordinates, magnitudes, and type.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/simbad-astro-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Integrations, Education
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 89.7% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.50 / 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)

### SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper

**Scrape astronomical objects from SIMBAD by ADQL query, up to a million per run.** Each object comes with its identifier, coordinates, magnitudes, and object type. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

SIMBAD's official query interface is built for interactive browsing, not bulk extraction. This reads the public TAP service directly, filters with an ADQL where clause, and returns each match in one fixed schema. It is the fastest way to pull a clean dataset of stars, galaxies, and other objects for research or analysis.

| Who uses it | What they scrape SIMBAD for |
|---|---|
| Astronomy researchers | Building a catalog of objects in a specific region or with certain properties |
| Data scientists | Getting a clean dataset of celestial objects for machine learning |
| Educators | Downloading real astronomical data for classroom exercises |
| Amateur astronomers | Compiling observation lists of interesting targets |

### What it does

This Actor collects astronomical objects from SIMBAD using an optional ADQL where clause, and returns each one as a flat row.

- 🔭 **ADQL filtering:** pass a where clause to select objects by coordinates, magnitude, or type.
- 📊 **Flat rows:** every object is returned as a single record with consistent fields.
- 📦 **Bulk export:** collect up to a million objects per run and export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

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

### What you can do with SIMBAD data

**🔭 Build a regional catalog.**

An astronomer runs the Actor with a where clause on coordinates to get all objects within a few degrees of a target, then exports the list for follow-up observations.

**📈 Train a classification model.**

A data scientist collects thousands of objects with known types and magnitudes, then uses the flat dataset to train a model that predicts object classes.

**🎓 Create a teaching dataset.**

An educator pulls a sample of bright stars and galaxies, then gives students the CSV to practice plotting and basic statistics.

**🌌 Plan an observing session.**

An amateur astronomer filters for objects above a certain magnitude in a constellation, then exports the list to a phone app for the night's targets.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key** | Uses the public TAP service, no registration or authentication |
| **ADQL support** | Filter by any field in the SIMBAD basic table using standard ADQL syntax |
| **Scalable** | Collect up to a million objects in a single run |
| **Fixed schema** | Every row has the same fields, ready for analysis |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets SIMBAD the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When SIMBAD 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 ADQL where clause, and set a maximum number of objects to collect per run. 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: **$0.0085 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.85 |
| 1,000 results | $8.50 |
| 10,000 results | $85.00 |

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 [SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/simbad-astro-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 SIMBAD 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/simbad-astro-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 ADQL where clause for syntax errors or overly restrictive conditions. Try running the same query directly on the SIMBAD TAP interface to see if it returns any rows.

**The run stops before reaching my maxItems.**

SIMBAD may have a limit on the number of rows returned per query. Try breaking your query into smaller chunks using additional filters, or reduce maxItems.

**I get an error about an invalid ADQL clause.**

Make sure your clause uses valid ADQL syntax and field names from the SIMBAD basic table. Refer to the SIMBAD TAP documentation for the correct field names.

**The export file is empty.**

If the run collected zero objects, the export will be empty. Check your where clause and maxItems setting, then rerun.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is SIMBAD? | SIMBAD is an astronomical database of objects outside the solar system, maintained by the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. It contains identifiers, coordinates, magnitudes, and other data for millions of stars, galaxies, and other objects. |
| Do I need an API key? | No. This Actor uses the public TAP service, which does not require authentication or registration. |
| What is an ADQL where clause? | ADQL is a SQL-like language for querying astronomical databases. The where clause lets you filter objects by any field in the SIMBAD basic table, such as coordinates, magnitudes, or object type. |
| How many objects can I collect? | You can set the maximum number of objects per run, up to one million. The Actor will stop after reaching that limit. |
| What fields are returned for each object? | The Actor returns a fixed set of fields from the SIMBAD basic table, including identifier, coordinates, magnitudes, and object type. The exact fields are shown in the sample output. |
| Can I filter by object type? | Yes, you can use the ADQL where clause to filter by any field, including object type. For example, to get only galaxies, you would write a clause like otype = 'G'. |
| Is there a rate limit? | The Actor respects SIMBAD's service limits. If you need a very large number of objects, consider running multiple smaller queries. |
| Can I export the data? | Yes, the Actor can export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, depending on your Apify plan. |

### 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 Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. 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 astronomical objects to collect per run.

## `whereClause` (type: `string`):

Optional ADQL where clause for basic table.

## Actor input object example

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

# 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,
    "whereClause": ""
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/simbad-astro-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,
    "whereClause": "",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/simbad-astro-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,
  "whereClause": ""
}' |
apify call parseforge/simbad-astro-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/simbad-astro-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/DHbXjid7wgeKyXTvf/builds/xRaeiBw2NstWzVIKi/openapi.json