Basic astronomical computations for Python
PyEphem provides an ephem Python package for performing high-precision
astronomy computations. The underlying numeric routines are coded in C and
are the same ones that drive the popular XEphem_ astronomy application,
whose author, Elwood Charles Downey, generously gave permission for their
use in PyEphem. The name ephem is short for the word ephemeris, which
is the traditional term for a table giving the position of a planet,
asteroid, or comet for a series of dates. The design of PyEphem emphasizes
convenience and ease of use. Both celestial bodies and the observer's
location on Earth are represented by Python objects, while dates and
angles automatically print themselves in standard astronomical formats.
