Moon Position Tracker | APIVerve API Tutorial

A Python CLI tool to track the moon's position in the sky. Get altitude, azimuth, and distance from any location on Earth.

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Features

• Track moon position from any coordinates
• Altitude above/below horizon
• Azimuth with compass direction
• Distance to the moon
• Support for custom date/time
• Pre-configured example locations
• Interactive CLI interface

Quick Start

1. Clone this repository

   git clone https://github.com/apiverve/moon-tracker-python-tutorial.git
   cd moon-tracker-python-tutorial

2. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set your API key

   export APIVERVE_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

4. Run the tracker

   python tracker.py

Project Structure

moon-tracker-python-tutorial/
├── tracker.py          # Main Python script
├── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
├── screenshot.jpg      # Preview image
├── LICENSE             # MIT license
├── .gitignore          # Git ignore rules
└── README.md           # This file

How It Works

1. Select a location or enter coordinates
2. Optionally specify date and time
3. API calculates moon's position
4. Display altitude, azimuth, and distance

The API Call

response = requests.get('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/moonposition',
    headers={'x-api-key': API_KEY},
    params={
        'lat': 37.7749,
        'lon': -122.4194,
        'date': '01-22-2026',
        'time': '14:30'
    }
)

API Reference

Endpoint: GET https://api.apiverve.com/v1/moonposition

Query Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
lat	number	Yes	Latitude (-90 to 90)
lon	number	Yes	Longitude (-180 to 180)
date	string	No	Date (MM-DD-YYYY format)
time	string	No	Time (HH:MM format)

Example Response:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "date": "01-22-2026",
    "time": "14:30",
    "coordinates": {
      "latitude": 37.7749,
      "longitude": -122.4194
    },
    "moon": {
      "altitude": -0.407908976399288,
      "azimuth": 1.4720499058762104,
      "distance": 404332.68340679689
    }
  }
}

Understanding the Data

Field	Description
altitude	Angle above/below horizon (radians). Positive = visible
azimuth	Compass direction (radians from north)
distance	Distance to moon in kilometers

Converting Radians to Degrees

degrees = radians * (180 / 3.14159)

Example Locations

Location	Latitude	Longitude
San Francisco	37.7749	-122.4194
New York	40.7128	-74.0060
London	51.5074	-0.1278
Tokyo	35.6762	139.6503

Customization Ideas

• Add moon phase data
• Create visualization graph
• Add sunrise/sunset comparison
• Build web interface
• Track multiple celestial bodies
• Add notification for moonrise

Related APIs

Explore more APIs at APIVerve:

• Moon Phases - Current moon phase
• Sun Position - Track the sun
• Sunrise Sunset - Daily sun times

Free Plan Note

This tutorial works with the free APIVerve plan. Some APIs may have:

• Locked fields: Premium response fields return null on free plans
• Ignored parameters: Some optional parameters require a paid plan

The API response includes a premium object when limitations apply. Upgrade anytime to unlock all features.

License

MIT - see LICENSE

Links

• Get API Key - Sign up free
• APIVerve Marketplace - Browse 300+ APIs
• Moon Position API - API details