cdsclient ☆

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Description:
Tools for querying CDS databases for astronomical data

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 4.07@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Other

Tags: astronomy scientific-computing cli data-retrieval research

Install: brew install cdsclient

About:
cdsclient is a suite of command-line tools designed for interacting with the CDS (Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg) databases. It enables astronomers and researchers to programmatically query astronomical catalogs like SIMBAD, VizieR, and Aladin. The primary value is facilitating bulk data retrieval and cross-matching for scientific analysis and pipeline integration.

Key Features:

Command-line interface for automated scripting
Support for SIMBAD, VizieR, and Aladin queries
Cross-matching capabilities between different catalogs
Lightweight and portable C-based implementation

Use Cases:

Bulk downloading star or galaxy catalogs for local analysis
Automated cross-matching of observation targets with reference databases
Integration into astronomical data processing pipelines

Alternatives:

Astropy – Python-based library offering broader functionality but heavier dependencies
TOPCAT – GUI-based tool for catalog cross-matching, less suited for CLI automation

License: GPL-3.0-only

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 13, 2025 4:20am		0	VERSION_BUMP	b7b56c96