Planet Positions in Google Sheets
Formula
Look up a planet's sky position from a cell. =VERVE("planetpositions", "mars", 37.77, -122.42) returns coordinates and distance — Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2)=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2)A2 holds lat, B2 holds lon, C2 holds planet. Arguments go in that order — the same order as the table below.
With literal values
Nothing has to come from a cell — typed values work the same way.
=VERVE("planetpositions", 37.7749, -122.4194, "mars")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
latRequired | number | argument 2 | The latitude of the observer (e.g. 37.7749) |
lonRequired | number | argument 3 | The longitude of the observer (e.g. -122.4194) |
planetRequired | string | argument 4 | The planet to get position data for (e.g. mars) |
datePremium | string | "date", value | The date to get planetary position data for (MM-DD-YYYY) (e.g. 01-16-2026) |
time | string | "time", value | The time of day for the calculation (HH:mm format, 24-hour). Defaults to 00:00 if not provided (e.g. 21:00) |
alt | number | "alt", value | The altitude of the observer in meters (e.g. 0) |
Passing an option
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "date", "01-16-2026")What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "field", "planet")=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "field", "planet")Available fields
#PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
planet | string | Moon | Name of the celestial body being observed |
isBelowHorizon | boolean | false | Whether the planet is below horizon at observation location |
date | string | 2025-04-15T10:37:00Z | Observation date and time in ISO 8601 format |
observer | object | {…} | |
observer.latitude | number | 37.7749 | Observer latitude in decimal degrees |
observer.longitude | number | -122.4194 | Observer longitude in decimal degrees |
rightAscensionPremium | object | {…} | Right ascension coordinates of the planet |
rightAscension.hours | number | 15 | Right ascension hours component (0-23) |
rightAscension.minutes | number | 13 | Right ascension minutes component (0-59) |
rightAscension.seconds | number | 11 | Right ascension seconds component (0-59) |
declinationPremium | object | {…} | Declination coordinates of the planet |
declination.degrees | number | -23 | Declination degrees component (-90 to 90) |
declination.minutes | number | 10 | Declination minutes component (0-59) |
declination.seconds | number | 56 | Declination seconds component (0-59) |
distancePremium | object | {…} | Distance to the planet in various units |
distance.km | number | 402457.36 | Distance to planet in kilometers |
distance.lightTravelSeconds | number | 1.342 | Light travel time in seconds from planet |
distance.astronomicalUnits | number | 0.003 | Distance in astronomical units (AU) |
siderealTimePremium | object | {…} | Local sidereal time at observation |
siderealTime.hours | number | 16 | Local sidereal time hours component (0-23) |
siderealTime.minutes | number | 2 | Local sidereal time minutes component (0-59) |
siderealTime.seconds | number | 42 | Local sidereal time seconds component (0-59) |
hourAnglePremium | object | {…} | Hour angle from the meridian |
hourAngle.hours | number | 0 | Hour angle hours component from meridian |
hourAngle.minutes | number | 49 | Hour angle minutes component from meridian |
hourAngle.seconds | number | 31 | Hour angle seconds component from meridian |
vectorsPremium | object | {…} | Position vector components |
vectors.x | number | -0.0016452947779903913 | X component of planet position vector |
vectors.y | number | -0.0018463324771434563 | Y component of planet position vector |
vectors.z | number | -0.0010590407236111441 | Z component of planet position vector |
Filling a whole column
Hand the first argument a range instead of a cell and the add-in makes one batched call for the lot, then spills the answers down. That is faster than dragging the formula and costs the same credits — one per row looked up.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2:A100, B2, C2, "field", "planet")=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2:A100, B2, C2, "field", "planet")A2:A100 is the column of lat values. The result spills down alongside it, one row per input, blanks skipped.
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in planetpositions | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use Planet Positions in Google Sheets
Set up Planet Positions in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Planet Positions in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("planetpositions", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.