What is the key difference between Astronomy MCP Server and Orbit?

Astronomy MCP Server belongs to the Aerospace & Astrodynamics category with local stdio execution, while Orbit belongs to the Aerospace & Astrodynamics category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Astronomy MCP Server or Orbit in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Astronomy MCP Server and Orbit free or paid?

Astronomy MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Orbit operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Astronomy MCP Server lists 7 tools with 3 views and 3 GitHub stars. Orbit lists 4 tools with 3 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Astronomy MCP Server and Orbit together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Astronomy MCP Server vs Orbit

In-depth architectural comparison of the Astronomy MCP Server and Orbit MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Astronomy MCP Server

Aerospace & Astrodynamics · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Orbit

Aerospace & Astrodynamics · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 41/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Astronomy MCP Server if you need specialized Aerospace & Astrodynamics tools running via a local process. Choose Orbit if your workspace requires Aerospace & Astrodynamics integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Astronomy MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Aerospace & Astrodynamics domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: ASTRONOMY_ENABLE_HORIZONS.
Primary tools included: astronomy_get_sky_position, astronomy_get_rise_set, astronomy_get_moon_phase.

Explore Astronomy MCP Server Details

Choose Orbit when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Aerospace & Astrodynamics domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Query Zürich workshop rooms, Check room prices, Check free time slots.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Astronomy MCP Server Aerospace & Astrodynamics	O Orbit Aerospace & Astrodynamics
Summary	Offline observational astronomy: positions, rise/set, moon phases, eclipses, and seasons.	Orbit Zürich: Workshop-Räume, Preise und freie Slots abfragen, Buchungsanfragen stellen.
Category & Scope	Aerospace & Astrodynamics	Aerospace & Astrodynamics

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Astronomy MCP Server Tools (7)

astronomy_get_sky_position

Apparent position of one body or named star for an observer and instant — equatorial (RA/Dec), horizontal (alt/az), ecliptic, plus distance, magnitude, angular diameter, phase, and constellation.

astronomy_get_rise_set

Rise, set, and culmination times for a body at a location, with maximum altitude at transit. For the Sun, also the three twilight pairs (civil/nautical/astronomical).

astronomy_get_moon_phase

Moon phase for an instant: illuminated fraction, phase name, synodic age, phase angle, and the next four quarter phases with timestamps.

astronomy_find_events

Forward search for the next occurrences of one sky-event class: eclipses, equinoxes, solstices, moon quarters, oppositions, conjunctions, greatest elongations, and apsides.

astronomy_list_visible

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Astronomy MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "astronomy-mcp-server": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": [
        "@cyanheads/astronomy-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ASTRONOMY_ENABLE_HORIZONS": "YOUR_ASTRONOMY_ENABLE_HORIZONS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Orbit Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "orbit": {
      "url": "https://www.the-orbit.ch/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Astronomy MCP Server is categorized under Aerospace & Astrodynamics and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Orbit belongs to Aerospace & Astrodynamics using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Astronomy MCP Server when you need capabilities focused on aerospace & astrodynamics and Orbit when you require tools for aerospace & astrodynamics.

More alternatives to Astronomy MCP Server More alternatives to Orbit Aerospace & Astrodynamics category hub