SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper

SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper

Scrape astronomical object data from the SIMBAD database by object type, identifier, or custom ADQL query, up to a million records per run. Each object comes with its coordinates, magnitudes, proper motions, spectral type, and cross-identifiers. No API key required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

SIMBAD is the reference database for identifying and characterizing astronomical objects outside the solar system, but its web interface and TAP service require manual query building and repeated downloads for large datasets. This Actor reads the SIMBAD TAP service directly, letting you filter by object type, identifier pattern, or a custom ADQL query, and returns each match in one fixed, flat schema. It is built for astronomers and data scientists who need to compile object catalogs for statistical studies, cross-matching, or machine learning without writing repetitive query scripts.

Who uses it	What they scrape SIMBAD for
Astrophysicists	Compiling a sample of a specific object class, such as white dwarfs or quasars, for population statistics.
Data scientists in astronomy	Building a training dataset of stars with known spectral types and magnitudes for a classification model.
Observational astronomers	Generating a target list of galaxies in a specific magnitude range for a telescope proposal.
Planetarium and outreach educators	Gathering a catalog of bright, named stars and deep-sky objects for a public display or educational app.

What it does

This Actor collects astronomical object records from the SIMBAD database and returns each one as a flat row with astrometric, photometric, and spectroscopic data.

• 🔭 Object type filter: Select from 17 common object types like galaxy, quasar, white dwarf, or globular cluster without writing ADQL.
• 🔍 Identifier search: Filter objects whose main identifier contains a specific survey prefix, such as HD, NGC, Gaia, or 2MASS.
• 📊 Magnitude requirement: Optionally return only objects with a measured V-band magnitude, ensuring richer photometric records.
• 📝 Custom ADQL mode: Supply your own ADQL query against the SIMBAD TAP service for full flexibility, overriding all other filters.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with SIMBAD data

🌟 Build a stellar population sample.

An astrophysicist selects the 'White dwarf (WD*)' object type, enables the V magnitude requirement, and collects 50,000 records to analyze the luminosity function of local white dwarfs.

🌌 Compile a quasar catalog for cross-matching.

A data scientist uses the 'Quasar (QSO)' filter with an identifier containing 'SDSS' to gather a sample of spectroscopically confirmed quasars, then cross-matches the coordinates with a radio survey.

🔭 Generate a telescope target list.

An observer filters for 'Globular cluster (GlC)' objects, sets a maximum of 200 items, and exports the list with coordinates and magnitudes to plan an observing run.

📚 Create an educational star catalog.

An educator searches for identifiers containing 'HD' and requires V magnitude to produce a dataset of bright, named stars with their spectral types for an interactive sky map.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key or registration	Queries the public SIMBAD TAP service directly with no authentication or rate-limit management on your side.
Fixed flat schema	Every object returns the same columns, making the output ready for pandas, R, or direct database import.
Up to 1,000,000 objects per run	Collect large catalogs in a single execution, limited only by the maximum you set.
Built-in object type presets	Select from 17 common SIMBAD object types without memorizing otype codes.
Custom ADQL support	When the presets are not enough, write your own ADQL query for full access to SIMBAD's TAP capabilities.

How it compares

No other Store actor targets SIMBAD the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

	SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper	Build it in-house	By hand
Setup	Run it now, zero config	Days of engineering	None, but hours per pull
When SIMBAD changes	Maintained for you	You fix it	You re-learn the page
Proxies, retries, anti-bot	Built in	Your problem	Browser only
Output	Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export	Whatever you build	Copy-paste
Cost	Pay per result	Engineering time	Analyst hours

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a custom ADQL query or use the built-in filters for object type, identifier pattern, and V magnitude requirement, which run as the query is executed so only matching objects reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
  "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
  "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.006 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.60
1,000 results	$6.00
10,000 results	$60.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the SIMBAD Astronomical Objects Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to SIMBAD through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/simbad-astronomical-objects-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why is my run returning zero objects?

Check that your filters are not too restrictive. For example, combining a rare object type with a specific identifier pattern and the V magnitude requirement may match no objects. Try relaxing one filter at a time to see which condition is too narrow.

Why does my custom ADQL query fail?

Ensure your ADQL syntax is valid for the SIMBAD TAP service. The query must be a SELECT statement against the 'basic' table. Common mistakes include unescaped single quotes in identifiers or using column names that do not exist in the SIMBAD TAP schema. Test your query in a TAP client like TOPCAT first.

Why are some objects missing their V magnitude even though I required it?

The 'Require V Magnitude' filter checks for the presence of a V-band measurement in SIMBAD. If an object still shows an empty magnitude field, it may have a measurement in a different band that SIMBAD maps to V, or the value is null in the TAP response. Try disabling the filter and checking the raw data to see which magnitude fields are populated.

Why is my run slow or timing out?

Large queries, especially those returning hundreds of thousands of objects, can take several minutes. The SIMBAD TAP service has its own query timeout. If you consistently hit timeouts, try reducing the maximum objects, adding more restrictive filters, or breaking your query into smaller batches by object type or coordinate region.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What is SIMBAD?	SIMBAD (Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data) is an astronomical database maintained by the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS). It provides basic data, cross-identifications, bibliography, and measurements for astronomical objects outside the solar system.
Do I need an API key or account to use this Actor?	No. This Actor queries the public SIMBAD TAP service, which does not require authentication or an API key. You only need an Apify account to run the Actor.
What is ADQL and when should I use it?	ADQL (Astronomical Data Query Language) is an SQL-like language used to query astronomical databases. Use the custom ADQL field when the built-in object type and identifier filters are not specific enough for your research, for example when you need to filter by coordinate region or proper motion range.
What data fields does each object record include?	Each record includes the main identifier, right ascension and declination, object type, V magnitude when available, proper motions, parallax, spectral type, and a list of cross-identifiers from major surveys. The exact fields are shown in the sample output on the Actor's page.
How many objects can I collect in one run?	You can set the maximum up to 1,000,000 objects per run. The actual number returned depends on how many objects match your filters in the SIMBAD database.
Can I filter objects by their coordinates?	The built-in filters do not include a coordinate box, but you can supply a custom ADQL query that includes a CONTAINS or coordinate range clause to filter by position on the sky.
What object types can I filter by?	The Actor provides a dropdown with 17 common SIMBAD object types, including galaxy, quasar, various star types, clusters, nebulae, and supernova remnants. You can also leave it on 'Any type' to return all objects matching your other filters.
What does the 'Require V Magnitude' option do?	When enabled, the query only returns objects that have a measured V-band magnitude in SIMBAD. This is useful when you need photometric data for every object in your sample, for example when building a color-magnitude diagram.
How do I search for objects from a specific catalog like Gaia or 2MASS?	Use the 'Identifier Contains' field and enter the catalog prefix, such as 'Gaia DR3' or '2MASS'. The Actor will return only objects whose main identifier contains that text.
What output formats are supported?	The Actor can export your dataset to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, depending on what you select in the Apify run settings or when you download the results.

Related actors

• nasa-exoplanet-archive-scraper: Use this Actor when you need data specifically on confirmed exoplanets and their host stars from the NASA Exoplanet Archive.

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.