simbad.py

def simbad( source_name=None, verbose=False ):
	"""Gets (radeg,dedeg) for a given SIMBAD resolvable name
	(radedeg,dedeg) = simbad_coord( source_name )
	output = tuple of (RA,DEC)"""
	
	import urllib.request
	#from urllib2 import urlopen,Request,quote
	from xml.dom.minidom import parse
	from numpy import float

	if source_name==None:
		print("Missing source name....")
		return None
	
	try:
		ra,de = source_name.split()
		ra = float(ra)
		de = float(de)
		return (float(ra),float(de))
	except:
		#cds. server is about 15% faster in response...
		#url ='http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-sesame/-ox?'
		url ='http://cds.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-sesame/-ox?'
		url += quote(source_name)   
		
		if verbose: print(url)

		#res = urlopen(Request( url ))
		request = urllib.request.Request(url)
		response = urllib.request.urlopen(request)
		xml = parse(response)
		response.close()

		if xml.getElementsByTagName('jradeg')==[]:
			return (None,None)
		else:
			jradeg = xml.getElementsByTagName('jradeg')[0].childNodes[0].data
			jdedeg = xml.getElementsByTagName('jdedeg')[0].childNodes[0].data
			return (float(jradeg),float(jdedeg))