Here’s an example of importing the script and using it :

We simple import the module,

>>> import PySIMBAD as sim

Now we build a link for our desired object name, and we assign it to an object (here named as star),

>>> link = sim.buildLink("sirius")
>>> star=sim.simbad(link)

Now let’s see what we can do with it,

>>> dir(star)
['__class__', '__delattr__', '__dict__', '__doc__', '__format__', '__getattribute__', '__hash__', '__init__', '__module__', '__new__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__setattr__', '__sizeof__', '__str__', '__subclasshook__', '__weakref__', 'dec', 'fk4', 'fk5', 'flux', 'flux_num', 'gal', 'getCoord', 'icrs', 'mainType', 'names', 'names_num', 'objectTypes', 'page', 'ra', 'refs']

So we have an attribute named fk5. Let’s see what it does!

>>> print star.fk5()
06 45 08.917 -16 42 58.02
>>> print star.ra.__doc__
Returns a string RA joined by ':'
>>> print star.ra(star.fk5())
06:45:08.917

Or we can just select the main type of the object, (wheter it’s a galaxy, an asteroid, a supernova etc.)

>>> print star.mainType()
Spectroscopic binary

How about the flux information?

>>> print star.flux.__doc__
Returns a dictionary of Fluxes according to their Colors.
Example :
>>> S.flux()
{'H': '-1.391', 'J': '-1.391', 'B': '-1.46', 'K': '-1.390', 'V': '-1.47'}
>>> S.flux()['J']
'-1.391'

>>> star.flux()
{'H': '-1.391', 'J': '-1.391', 'B': '-1.46', 'K': '-1.390', 'V': '-1.47'}

Well, here’s the best part (and it’s why I started building it in the first place)

>>> for i in star.names() : print i
...
NAME SIRIUS A
GEN# +1.00048915A
2MASS J06450887-1642566
SAO 151881
* alf CMa A
GJ 244 A
N30 1470
SBC7 288
* 9 CMa
HD 48915
NAME Dog Star
SBC9 416
* alf CMa
HGAM 556
NAME SIRIUS
SKY# 11855
ADS 5423 A
HIC 32349
NLTT 16953
TD1 8027
BD-16 1591
HIP 32349
NSV 17173
TYC 5949-2777-1
CCDM J06451-1643A
HR 2491
8pc 379.21A
UBV M 12413
CEL 1368
IDS 06408-1635 A
PLX 1577
UBV 6709
Ci 20 396
IRAS 06429-1639
PMC 90-93 186
USNO 816
CSI-16 1591 1
IRC -20105
PM 06430-1639A
uvby98 100048915 A
1E 064255-1639.4
JP11 1425
PPM 217626
WDS J06451-1643A
FK5 257
LFT 486
RAFGL 1007
Zkh 91
GAT 474
LHS 219
ROT 1088
GC 8833
LPM 243
RX J0645.1-1642
GCRV 4392
LTT 2638
1RXS J064509.3-164241

There you go, have fun…