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Starfetch

Query public astronomy catalogs through metadata-aware TAP and ADQL tools with reproducible results.

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Install Starfetch

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "starfetch": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@starfetch-js/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Automated check passed— started and listed 12 tools correctly (6d ago).

Overview

The Starfetch MCP server lets agents query public astronomy catalogs through TAP services and ADQL. It inspects live service metadata before selecting tables, columns, and bounded queries, then returns results with the exact service, table, query, limits, units, and assumptions. Built-in presets cover Gaia, SIMBAD, VizieR, the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and IRSA, while other public TAP services can be addressed by URL. Use it when an agent needs current catalog data with a visible, reproducible query trail rather than an opaque lookup.

Use cases

  • Find catalog sources near specified sky coordinates
  • Compare fields across public astronomy catalogs
  • Inspect TAP schemas before writing ADQL
  • Reproduce bounded catalog queries outside an agent client

Key features

  • Metadata-first TAP and ADQL workflow
  • Built-in Gaia, SIMBAD, VizieR, NASA Exoplanet Archive, and IRSA presets
  • Public TAP service discovery by URL
  • Synchronous and asynchronous query execution
  • Exact ADQL, limits, units, and assumptions in results
  • CLI and TypeScript support for query reproduction

Tools12

What Starfetch lets your agent do. Expand a tool for its parameters.

Verified live~2.3k tokens of context

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked 1d ago

Recent health check succeeded.

7/7 checks healthy over the last 44d

What it can do

From the 12 tools this server returned when we ran it; 12 declare their own safety hints.

Runs commands · 1Can delete or modify data · 1Makes network requests · 11Read-only tools · 10
Network at startup3 connections
Files written at startupNone
Install scriptsNone
npm provenanceSigned build
Package age103 days
Maintainers1

Observed 2026-10-16 in an isolated sandbox. A description of reach, not a security audit.

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 9d ago via OSV.dev · @starfetch-js/mcp (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars2Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads247Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit1mo agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Availability100%Our rolling endpoint + install checks that succeeded.
Install checkPassedOur sandbox started it and listed its tools.
Tools exposed12Callable tools this server registers over MCP.
Directory activity2 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How Starfetch works

What the Starfetch MCP server does

The Starfetch MCP server connects MCP-compatible agents to public astronomy catalogs exposed through Table Access Protocol (TAP). Its workflow is designed for questions that require live catalog data, such as finding sources near sky coordinates, comparing catalog fields, or filtering objects by measured properties.

Built-in presets are available for Gaia, SIMBAD, VizieR, the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and IRSA. Agents can also search for and query other public TAP services by URL. The server remains focused on tabular catalog access; it does not provide authenticated archive access, image processing, or broad local scientific analysis.

How it works

A typical request begins with service selection and availability checks when appropriate. The agent then examines the service's tables and the columns in a selected table before constructing an ADQL query from the discovered schema. Exploratory requests are bounded with ADQL TOP, TAP MAXREC, or both.

After execution, the response separates result data from diagnostics and preserves the submitted ADQL and effective row limit. It also reports the service, table, format, units, and relevant assumptions. A failed request, such as a timeout or syntax error, is kept distinct from a successful query that returned zero rows. When a schema or query error occurs, the intended workflow is to inspect metadata again instead of guessing.

The Starfetch MCP server exposes synchronous query operations and asynchronous TAP jobs. Async workflows can submit a job, check its status, wait for completion, fetch results, and delete the job. Remote async calls require the returned opaque jobCapability value to be passed unchanged to later operations.

Setup and configuration

The local npm package is the default connection method. It requires Node.js 22 or newer and runs as a stdio MCP server. Start it through the client’s MCP registration interface with:

text
command: npx
args: -y @starfetch-js/mcp

Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor have documented registration examples in the project material. Other clients can use the same command and arguments through their own stdio configuration. After registration, reload the client and ask an astronomy question in natural language.

A public remote service is also available over Streamable HTTP at:

text
https://starfetch-mcp-app-production-wumkqeiqaa-ew.a.run.app/mcp

The remote endpoint does not require authentication and is bounded and best effort. The local package is preferable when local control is needed or when the client lacks remote Streamable HTTP support.

Tools and capabilities

The tool set covers the full metadata-first TAP workflow:

  • List built-in service presets and search a registry.
  • Check TAP availability and capabilities.
  • Inspect tables and table columns.
  • Run synchronous ADQL queries with row limits.
  • Submit, monitor, wait for, fetch, and delete asynchronous TAP jobs.

When maxrec is omitted, synchronous queries and async submissions send TAP MAXREC=100. The CLI and TypeScript library can reproduce an agent’s query outside the MCP client.

Limitations and notes

The service is intended for public TAP catalogs. Do not send credentials, private archive URLs, sensitive personal data, or unbounded workloads to the remote endpoint. It is not a replacement for authenticated archives, extensive local analysis, image-data processing, or authoritative astrophysical interpretation.

Returned data should be read together with the exact ADQL, units, limits, and assumptions. Remote job deletion is destructive and may trigger approval in MCP clients. The remote capability token remains usable while the job exists and the service signing secret has not changed.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about Starfetch

Starfetch is an MCP server that connects AI agents to public astronomy catalogs through TAP and ADQL. Its main tools inspect services, tables, and columns, run bounded queries, and manage asynchronous TAP jobs. Results include the exact service, table, query, limits, units, and assumptions used.

Install it by registering `npx -y @starfetch-js/mcp` as a stdio MCP server in a compatible client. Node.js 22 or newer is required. The package can be added through Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another client’s MCP configuration, then the client should be reloaded.

Yes, Starfetch works with Cursor through a stdio entry in `~/.cursor/mcp.json` or a project-level `.cursor/mcp.json`. Configure `npx` as the command and `-y`, `@starfetch-js/mcp` as the arguments, then reload Cursor.

Yes, it includes presets for SIMBAD, VizieR, the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and IRSA in addition to Gaia. Agents can also discover and query other public TAP services by URL after inspecting their available metadata.

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