Overview
Pass observer latitude, longitude, and a chosen planet from Pluto to the Moon. The API calculates observation geometry with optional observer altitude and observation time, returning whether the target sits below the local horizon. Paid plans let you set specific dates and return right ascension, declination, distances, sidereal time, and Cartesian position vectors.
Live Test Planet Positions Source →
Formula
One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the rest are its inputs, and the "field" pair says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "field", "isBelowHorizon")=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "field", "isBelowHorizon")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", "field", "isBelowHorizon")=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", 37.7749, -122.4194, "mars", "field", "isBelowHorizon")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. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
dateOptionalPremium | string | "date", value | The date to get planetary position data for (MM-DD-YYYY) date |
timeOptional | string | "time", value | The time of day for the calculation (HH:mm format, 24-hour). Defaults to 00:00 if not provided time |
latRequired | number | argument 2 (A2) | The latitude of the observer range -90–90 |
lonRequired | number | argument 3 (B2) | The longitude of the observer range -180–180 |
altOptional | number | "alt", value | The altitude of the observer in meters range 0–∞ |
planetRequired | string | argument 4 (C2) | The planet to get position data forsunmoonmercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranus+2 |
Passing an option
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "date", "01-16-2026")=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2, "date", "01-16-2026")What lands in your sheet
The "field" pair is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.
Seeing everything at once
Drop the "field" pair and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2)=VERVE.CALL("planetpositions", A2, B2, C2)The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.
Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the "field" pair accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #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 | {…} | The location the position was calculated for |
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.hoursPremium | number | 15 | Right ascension hours component (0-23) |
rightAscension.minutesPremium | number | 13 | Right ascension minutes component (0-59) |
rightAscension.secondsPremium | number | 11 | Right ascension seconds component (0-59) |
declinationPremium | object | {…} | Declination coordinates of the planet |
declination.degreesPremium | number | -23 | Declination degrees component (-90 to 90) |
declination.minutesPremium | number | 10 | Declination minutes component (0-59) |
declination.secondsPremium | number | 56 | Declination seconds component (0-59) |
distancePremium | object | {…} | Distance to the planet in various units |
distance.kmPremium | number | 402457.36 | Distance to planet in kilometers |
distance.lightTravelSecondsPremium | number | 1.342 | Light travel time in seconds from planet |
distance.astronomicalUnitsPremium | number | 0.003 | Distance in astronomical units (AU) |
siderealTimePremium | object | {…} | Local sidereal time at observation |
siderealTime.hoursPremium | number | 16 | Local sidereal time hours component (0-23) |
siderealTime.minutesPremium | number | 2 | Local sidereal time minutes component (0-59) |
siderealTime.secondsPremium | number | 42 | Local sidereal time seconds component (0-59) |
hourAnglePremium | object | {…} | Hour angle from the meridian |
hourAngle.hoursPremium | number | 0 | Hour angle hours component from meridian |
hourAngle.minutesPremium | number | 49 | Hour angle minutes component from meridian |
hourAngle.secondsPremium | number | 31 | Hour angle seconds component from meridian |
vectorsPremium | object | {…} | Position vector components |
vectors.xPremium | number | -0.0016452947779903913 | X component of planet position vector |
vectors.yPremium | number | -0.0018463324771434563 | Y component of planet position vector |
vectors.zPremium | number | -0.0010590407236111441 | Z component of planet position vector |
Filling a whole column
Both platforms make one batched call for a column rather than one request per cell, and both cost the same — 2 credits per row looked up. How you write it differs, because the two runtimes batch at different points.
=VERVE("planetpositions", A2:A100, B2:B100, C2:C100, "field", "isBelowHorizon")In Google Sheets, give the arguments ranges and the answers spill down from the cell you typed in. Custom functions there run synchronously and in isolation, so dragged cells cannot be coalesced — the range form is how a column becomes one call. The "field" pair is required here: a per-row two-column table has nowhere to spill. Use a full column per input (A2:A100, not A2) — a single-cell reference is read as row 1 only and the rest of the column comes back blank.
In Excel, type the formula once and fill down — no range form and none needed, because its runtime is asynchronous and the add-in coalesces the calls a fill produces into a single batched request. Do not hand VERVE.CALL a range: Excel flattens it into positional arguments, so A2:A100 arrives as a hundred separate arguments and the cell reads #ERR rather than filling.
Either way, column A holds your lat values and the answers land beside them, one row each, blank rows 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() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.
| 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 | A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in planetpositions | An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path is not in the response. Check it against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan does not include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The cycle'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 does not 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.
Use cases
- Stargazing Tour Scheduling
- When planning evening viewing sessions, astronomy guides check if target planets sit below the horizon at their field camp location and scheduled observation time.
- Telescope Mount Pointing
- Astrophotographers on paid plans calculate exact right ascension and declination coordinates to aim automated tracking mounts toward visible solar system targets.
- Astrology Chart Generation
- Natal chart software queries planetary bodies across specific dates on paid plans to map celestial positions for birth chart generation.
- Planetarium Display Sync
- To project accurate night sky exhibits, science museum kiosks query live planetary coordinates based on local building coordinates and viewing time.
Other ways to use Planet Positions
Set up Planet Positions on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
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