A Python/Tkinter desktop application for querying multiple astronomy databases simultaneously by star name or sky coordinates. Results are displayed in tabbed panels with full per-star detail and can be exported to Excel or CSV.
| Tab | Catalog | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| SIMBAD | CDS SIMBAD | Main ID, RA/Dec, object type, spectral type, parallax, proper motion, radial velocity, photometry, stellar parameters, cross-IDs, bibliography |
| AAVSO VSX | AAVSO Variable Star Index | Variable type, period, magnitude range, epoch, remarks, references |
| VizieR | 2MASS (II/246) | J, H, K photometry + errors, quality flags |
| VizieR | AllWISE (II/328) | W1–W4 mid-IR photometry + errors, quality flags |
| VizieR | APASS DR9 (II/336) | V, B optical photometry + errors |
| VizieR | Tycho-2 (I/259) | BT, VT photometry, proper motions |
| VizieR | WDS (B/wds) | Double star separations, position angles, discoverer codes |
| VizieR | Orb6 (B/orb6) | Visual binary orbital elements |
| Gaia DR3 | ESA Gaia DR3 | G/BP/RP magnitudes, parallax, proper motion, radial velocity, RUWE |
| NEA | NASA Exoplanet Archive | Planet and host star parameters, discovery details |
- Two search modes — by star name/identifier (e.g.
WASP-80,RR Lyr,Gaia DR3 1234567890) or by RA/Dec with a configurable cone search radius - Tabbed results — each data source has its own tab; tab labels show match counts
- Selected Star Detail — click any result row for a full detail panel: coordinates, object type, spectral classifications, measurements with uncertainties, and clickable ADS bibcode links for every measurement
- Configurable columns — gear buttons on SIMBAD and Gaia DR3 tabs let you toggle which measurement sections and parameters are shown
- Individual VizieR sub-catalog toggles — each VizieR catalog (2MASS, AllWISE, APASS, Tycho-2, WDS) has its own enable/disable checkbox
Collapsible filter panels let you narrow results without needing to know a specific star's name. Set filters and leave RA/Dec blank to run a catalog-wide scan — supported catalogs will run and all others will show "Not searched."
| Filter Panel | Fields |
|---|---|
| SIMBAD Filters | Object type, period range (days), max magnitude range, reference year range |
| VSX Filters | Variable type (74 standard types + free-text), period range, max magnitude range, amplitude ≥ |
| WDS Filters | RA range (decimal hours), Dec range (degrees), separation, primary/secondary magnitude, position angle, number of observations, last-observation year |
Import a CSV or Excel file (.csv, .xlsx, or .xls) and query every target automatically.
- Name mode — one star name per row; resolves through SIMBAD
- Coordinate mode — RA/Dec columns with a single search radius; optionally map a name column so exports show star names instead of coordinates
- Auto-Run — steps through all targets unattended; automatic 45-second server cooldown every 150 targets to prevent timeouts on large lists; live elapsed time counter shown during run
- Navigation — step forward/back manually or jump directly to any target
Results from all data sources export together into a single multi-sheet Excel workbook, or as a flat CSV.
- One sheet per catalog (SIMBAD, AAVSO VSX, 2MASS, AllWISE, APASS, Tycho-2, WDS, Orb6, Gaia DR3, NEA)
- Six dedicated SIMBAD measurement sheets (SpT, Plx, Dist, PM, RV, Rot) — always present, with a "no data" notice when empty
- Sheets with positional matches (2MASS, AllWISE, APASS, Tycho-2) export the nearest match per target
- Bibcode columns hyperlinked to ADS
- Center-aligned cells; alternating row shading per catalog color
SOQyT checks for new releases automatically at startup. If a newer version is available, an update banner appears with a one-click download. Use Help → Check for Updates to check manually at any time.
- Python 3.10+
requests,openpyxlxlrd(only needed for.xlsinput files)- Internet connection — all queries are live API calls
Dependencies are installed automatically by the launcher, or manually:
pip install requests openpyxl xlrd
tkinter is included with Python.
# Launcher (installs dependencies automatically, then runs)
Version 1.3.2\run.bat
# Or directly
python "Version 1.3.2\star_query_tool.py"
Pre-built executables for Windows, macOS, and Linux are available on the Releases page — no Python installation required.
| Platform | Package | How to run |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | *_win64.zip |
Extract and run Stellar Object Query Tool.exe |
| macOS | *_macos.zip |
Extract and open Stellar Object Query Tool.app |
| Linux | *_linux.tar.gz |
Extract and run Stellar Object Query Tool |
MIT License — © Art Trail 2026. See Version 1.3.0/LICENSE for details.