What is an astronomy API?

An astronomy API is a programmatic interface that returns solar event data, such as sunrise and sunset times, and solar position data, such as azimuth and elevation, for any geographic coordinate. Developers use astronomy APIs to power solar energy systems, smart lighting, agricultural planning tools, and photography apps.

What data does Ambee's astronomy API return?

The API returns eight fields: latitude, longitude, IANA timezone, UTC timestamp, solar azimuth (the sun's compass direction in degrees), solar elevation (the sun's angle above the horizon in degrees), sunrise time, and sunset time. Sunrise and sunset are returned in the location's local timezone with offset.

Does the API return sunrise and sunset in local time or UTC?

Local time. Sunrise and sunset are returned as ISO 8601 timestamps with the location's timezone offset (e.g., +05:30 for India Standard Time). Most competing astronomy APIs return UTC by default, which shifts conversion effort to the developer. Ambee handles that for you.

Does the API account for atmospheric refraction?

Yes. Sunrise and sunset calculations include standard atmospheric refraction corrections (accounting for solar radius and refraction effects) so that the returned times reflect the sun's apparent position on the horizon, not just its geometric position. Under standard atmospheric conditions, rise and set times are accurate to within 1-2 minutes.

What is solar azimuth?

Solar azimuth is the sun's compass direction, measured in degrees clockwise from true north. 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west. This tells you which direction the sun is shining from at a given location and time. It is the standard reference used in solar tracking systems, building design, and navigation.

What is solar elevation?

Solar elevation is the sun's angle above the horizon, measured in degrees. A value of 0° means the sun is on the horizon (sunrise or sunset). 90° means directly overhead. Negative values mean the sun is below the horizon. This is critical for solar energy yield calculations, shadow analysis, and daylight modeling.

Does the API support global coverage?

Yes. The API returns data for any latitude-longitude pair on Earth. No regional restrictions. No coverage gaps. The timezone is auto-detected from the coordinates you provide.

Is there a free tier?

Yes. Sign up for Ambee's API dashboard to get a free evaluation trial: 100 API records per day for 15 days. No credit card required.

Can I combine astronomy data with other Ambee APIs?

Yes. Ambee offers weather, air quality, pollen, wildfire, natural disaster, and ILI (influenza-like illness) APIs. Combine sunrise and sunset data with weather forecasts for solar irradiance modeling. Pair solar position with air quality data for UV exposure estimates. All through a single API key.

How is Ambee's astronomy API different from other sunrise/sunset APIs?

Three things set it apart. First, it returns solar azimuth and solar elevation alongside sunrise and sunset, not just event times. Second, it is part of Ambee's broader environmental intelligence platform, so you can layer in weather, AQ, and pollen data without managing separate providers. Third, every response is timezone-aware with local timestamps and refraction-corrected timing out of the box.

What format does the API response use?

JSON. Timestamps use ISO 8601 format. Sunrise and sunset include the local timezone offset. Solar azimuth and elevation are returned as floating-point degree values.

How do I authenticate?

Pass your API key in the x-api-key request header. This is consistent across all Ambee APIs. Generate your key from the API dashboard after signing up.

Astronomy API: Get Sunrise, Sunset & Solar Position Data Now

Getting started with Ambee’s Astronomy API

const http = require("https");

const options = {
	"method": "GET",
	"hostname": "api.ambeedata.com",
	"port": null,
	"path": "/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117",
	"headers": {
		"x-api-key": "API_KEY",
		"Content-type": "application/json"
	}
};

const req = http.request(options, function (res) {
	const chunks = [];

	res.on("data", function (chunk) {
		chunks.push(chunk);
	});

	res.on("end", function () {
		const body = Buffer.concat(chunks);
		console.log(body.toString());
	});
});

req.end();

const http = require('https');

const options = {
	method: 'GET',
	hostname: 'api.ambeedata.com',
	port: null,
	path: '/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117',
	headers: {
		'x-api-key': 'API_KEY',
		'Content-type': 'application/json'
	}
};

const req = http.request(options, function (res) {
	const chunks = [];

	res.on('data', function (chunk) {
		chunks.push(chunk);
	});

	res.on('end', function () {
		const body = Buffer.concat(chunks);
		console.log(body.toString());
	});
});

req.end();

OkHttpClient client = new OkHttpClient();

Request request = new Request.Builder()
	.url("/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117")
	.get()
	.addHeader("x-api-key", "API_KEY")
	.addHeader("Content-type", "application/json")
	.build();

Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();

using System.Net.Http.Headers;
var client = new HttpClient();
var request = new HttpRequestMessage
{
	Method = HttpMethod.Get,
	RequestUri = new Uri("https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117"),
	Headers =
	{
		{ "x-api-key", "API_KEY" },
	},
};
using (var response = await client.SendAsync(request))
{
	response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
	var body = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
	Console.WriteLine(body);
}

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117"

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)

	req.Header.Add("x-api-key", "API_KEY")
	req.Header.Add("Content-type", "application/json")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}

<?php

$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, [
	CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117",
	CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
	CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
	CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
	CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
	CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
	CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET",
	CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
		"Content-type: application/json",
		"x-api-key: API_KEY"
	],
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);

curl_close($curl);

if ($err) {
	echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
	echo $response;
}

curl --request GET \
	--url 'https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117' \
	--header 'Content-type: application/json' \
	--header 'x-api-key: API_KEY'

require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/solar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.3911789055&lng=77.574044")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url)
request["x-api-key"] = 'API_KEY'
request["Content-type"] = 'application/json'

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body

import http.client

conn = http.client.HTTPSConnection("api.ambeedata.com")

headers = {
    'x-api-key': "API_KEY",
    'Content-type': "application/json"
}

conn.request("GET", "/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117", headers=headers)

res = conn.getresponse()
data = res.read()

print(data.decode("utf-8"))

const http = require('https');

const options = {
	method: 'GET',
	hostname: 'api.ambeedata.com',
	port: null,
	path: '/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117',
	headers: {
		'x-api-key': 'API_KEY',
		'Content-type': 'application/json'
	}
};

const req = http.request(options, function (res) {
	const chunks = [];

	res.on('data', function (chunk) {
		chunks.push(chunk);
	});

	res.on('end', function () {
		const body = Buffer.concat(chunks);
		console.log(body.toString());
	});
});

req.end();

OkHttpClient client = new OkHttpClient();

Request request = new Request.Builder()
	.url("https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117")
	.get()
	.addHeader("x-api-key", "API_KEY")
	.addHeader("Content-type", "application/json")
	.build();

Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();

using System.Net.Http.Headers;
var client = new HttpClient();
var request = new HttpRequestMessage
{
	Method = HttpMethod.Get,
	RequestUri = new Uri("https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117"),
	Headers =
	{
		{ "x-api-key", "API_KEY" },
	},
};
using (var response = await client.SendAsync(request))
{
	response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
	var body = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
	Console.WriteLine(body);
}

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117"

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)

	req.Header.Add("x-api-key", "API_KEY")
	req.Header.Add("Content-type", "application/json")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}

<?php

$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, [
	CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117",
	CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
	CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
	CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
	CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
	CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
	CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET",
	CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
		"Content-type: application/json",
		"x-api-key: API_KEY"
	],
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);

curl_close($curl);

if ($err) {
	echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
	echo $response;
}

curl --request GET \
	--url 'https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117' \
	--header 'Content-type: application/json' \
	--header 'x-api-key: API_KEY'

require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.ambeedata.com/astronomical/lunar-parameters/latest?lat=37.78229&lng=-122.39117")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url)
request["x-api-key"] = 'API_KEY'
request["Content-type"] = 'application/json'

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body

{
    "message": "success",
    "data": [
        {
            "lat": 37.75,
            "lng": -122.4,
            "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles",
            "timestamp": "2026-06-05T05:00:00.000Z",
            "solar_azimuth": 315.56,
            "solar_elevation": -15.41,
            "sunrise": "2026-06-05T05:48:09-07:00",
            "sunset": "2026-06-05T20:27:11-07:00"
        }
    ]
}

{
    "message": "success",
    "data": [
        {
            "lat": 37.75,
            "lng": -122.4,
            "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles",
            "timestamp": "2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z",
            "moonrise": "2026-06-05T00:07:36-07:00",
            "moonset": "2026-06-05T10:21:03-07:00",
            "moon_illumination": 75.97,
            "moon_phase": "Waning Gibbous"
        }
    ]
}

Get your API key

Choose your endpoint

Select the endpoint based on what you need: present conditions, historical data, or forecasts

Add your location

Specify the location using latitude and longitude coordinates, ZIP codes, or custom boundaries.

Make your request

Include your API key in the request header. Receive a structured JSON response.

Insights

Stay informed with research, case studies, and product deep-dives on astronomy.

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Ambee launches Astronomy API for sun and daylight intelligence

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Richard Hoffmann

Co-founder of Datarade

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CEO of Seek

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Ambee's astronomy data

What is an astronomy API?
An astronomy API is a programmatic interface that returns solar event data, such as sunrise and sunset times, and solar position data, such as azimuth and elevation, for any geographic coordinate. Developers use astronomy APIs to power solar energy systems, smart lighting, agricultural planning tools, and photography apps.
What data does Ambee's astronomy API return?
The API returns eight fields: latitude, longitude, IANA timezone, UTC timestamp, solar azimuth (the sun's compass direction in degrees), solar elevation (the sun's angle above the horizon in degrees), sunrise time, and sunset time. Sunrise and sunset are returned in the location's local timezone with offset.
Does the API return sunrise and sunset in local time or UTC?
Local time. Sunrise and sunset are returned as ISO 8601 timestamps with the location's timezone offset (e.g., +05:30 for India Standard Time). Most competing astronomy APIs return UTC by default, which shifts conversion effort to the developer. Ambee handles that for you.
Does the API account for atmospheric refraction?
Yes. Sunrise and sunset calculations include standard atmospheric refraction corrections (accounting for solar radius and refraction effects) so that the returned times reflect the sun's apparent position on the horizon, not just its geometric position. Under standard atmospheric conditions, rise and set times are accurate to within 1-2 minutes.
What is solar azimuth?
Solar azimuth is the sun's compass direction, measured in degrees clockwise from true north. 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west. This tells you which direction the sun is shining from at a given location and time. It is the standard reference used in solar tracking systems, building design, and navigation.
What is solar elevation?
Solar elevation is the sun's angle above the horizon, measured in degrees. A value of 0° means the sun is on the horizon (sunrise or sunset). 90° means directly overhead. Negative values mean the sun is below the horizon. This is critical for solar energy yield calculations, shadow analysis, and daylight modeling.
Does the API support global coverage?
Yes. The API returns data for any latitude-longitude pair on Earth. No regional restrictions. No coverage gaps. The timezone is auto-detected from the coordinates you provide.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. Sign up for Ambee's API dashboard to get a free evaluation trial: 100 API records per day for 15 days. No credit card required.
Can I combine astronomy data with other Ambee APIs?
Yes. Ambee offers weather, air quality, pollen, wildfire, natural disaster, and ILI (influenza-like illness) APIs. Combine sunrise and sunset data with weather forecasts for solar irradiance modeling. Pair solar position with air quality data for UV exposure estimates. All through a single API key.
How is Ambee's astronomy API different from other sunrise/sunset APIs?
Three things set it apart. First, it returns solar azimuth and solar elevation alongside sunrise and sunset, not just event times. Second, it is part of Ambee's broader environmental intelligence platform, so you can layer in weather, AQ, and pollen data without managing separate providers. Third, every response is timezone-aware with local timestamps and refraction-corrected timing out of the box.
What format does the API response use?
JSON. Timestamps use ISO 8601 format. Sunrise and sunset include the local timezone offset. Solar azimuth and elevation are returned as floating-point degree values.
How do I authenticate?
Pass your API key in the x-api-key request header. This is consistent across all Ambee APIs. Generate your key from the API dashboard after signing up.

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Ambee Astronomy

Comprehensive astronomy data

Global coverage

Hyperlocal granularity

Local time, ready to use

Gap-free time series

Lightweight JSON response

How Ambee generates reliable astronomy data

Coordinate mapping

Solar calculation

Timezone handling

Consistency

Reliability

Industry leaders use Ambee’s astronomy for

Solar energy and renewables

Smart home and IoT

Agriculture and precision farming

Construction and architecture

Logistics and fleet operations

Enterprise-grade astronomy data delivered your way

APIs

Flat files & bulk data