ipac-caltech API for agents (unofficial) — JSON over curl | clify
NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC/Caltech). This CLI queries confirmed exoplanets, TESS TOI candidates, table schemas and archive statistics through the public TAP/ADQL API. It also checks whether an object name resolves and reads system overview pages.
Host: exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu. Call these verified read commands with plain curl; no install, key, or account. Use the public JSON API with plain curl. No install, key, account, or browser is needed. Example: curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/sites.json'. Start with /search?q=weather, then call /abc/COMMAND. Responses are one JSON object. The hosted MCP and GitHub repo are also available.
Commands
run-tap-query
Run an arbitrary ADQL query against the archive's TAP service (tables: ps, pscomppars, toi, cumulative, stellarhosts, k2pandc, ...) and return JSON rows Params: query*, maxrec
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/run-tap-query?query=select+top+10+pl_name%2Chostname%2Cpl_orbper%2Cpl_rade%2Cdisc_year+from+pscomppars+where+disc_year%3D2024+order+by+pl_rade+desc&maxrec=20'
export-tap-csv
Run an ADQL query against the TAP service and return the result as CSV text (for bulk export) Params: query*, maxrec
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/export-tap-csv?query=select+toi%2Ctid%2Ctfopwg_disp%2Cpl_orbper%2Cpl_rade+from+toi+where+tfopwg_disp%3D%27PC%27+order+by+toi&maxrec=20'
list-planets-by-year
List confirmed planets discovered in a given year (Planetary Systems Composite table), sorted by a chosen column, top N Params: year*, api_limit, sort, order
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/list-planets-by-year'
list-host-planets
List all confirmed planets orbiting a given host star, with period, radius, mass and discovery method Params: hostname*
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/list-host-planets'
list-toi-candidates
List TESS Objects of Interest (TOI) filtered by TFOPWG disposition, ordered by TOI number Params: disposition*, maxrec
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/list-toi-candidates?maxrec=20'
list-tap-tables
List all tables available through the TAP service, with descriptions Params: none
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/list-tap-tables'
get-table-columns
Get the column schema (name, datatype, description) of a TAP table such as pscomppars, ps or toi Params: table*
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/get-table-columns'
check-object-name
Check whether an object/system name resolves in the archive inventory; stat OK means /overview/<name> exists Params: locstr*
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/check-object-name?locstr=Kepler-186'
get-system-overview
Get the planets shown on a system's overview page (planet name, radius in Jupiter radii, confirmed/candidate status) Params: name*
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/get-system-overview'
get-archive-statistics
Get the archive's statistics page rows (confirmed planet counts by discovery method, mass/radius coverage, radius bins, Kepler/TESS candidate counts) Params: none
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/get-archive-statistics'
get-toi-counts
Get current TESS TOI totals from ExoFOP: total count, latest new/updated dates and counts, and counts per TFOPWG disposition Params: none
curl 'https://clify-dev.netlify.app/ipac-caltech/get-toi-counts'