astroterm

Display real-time positions of stars and planets based on your current location

$ astroterm

$ astroterm [[-C|--constellations]] [[-c|--color]] [[-f|--fps]] [60]

$ astroterm [[-u|--unicode]] [[-t|--threshold]] [2.0]

$ astroterm [[-a|--latitude]] [90.0] [[-o|--longitude]] [-180.0] [[-d|--datetime]] [2025-08-04T12:00:00]

$ astroterm [[-i|--city]] [Singapore] [[-s|--speed]] [1000.0]

Not a standard system command; typically an alias or script wrapper.

Common usage resembles:
astroterm [IPython_options]

The actual command it executes might be ipython or python with specific environment variables or initialization scripts.

[IPython_options]
    Options provided after astroterm are typically passed directly to the underlying IPython or Python interpreter it launches. For instance, options like --matplotlib or --pylab could be passed to IPython for immediate plotting support within the interactive session.

astroterm is generally not a standard, universally available Linux command but rather a common alias or shell script found in environments configured for astronomical data analysis, particularly those utilizing the Astropy Python library. Its primary purpose is to launch an interactive Python (often IPython) shell with pre-loaded modules and configurations essential for astronomical computations, such as Astropy, NumPy, and Matplotlib.

This provides a convenient and ready-to-use environment for researchers and students to perform calculations, visualize data, and prototype code related to astronomy and astrophysics without the need for manual imports or extensive setup. It aims to simplify access to powerful scientific computing tools in an astronomical context.

• Non-Standard Command: astroterm is not a universally available command on all Linux systems. Its presence depends entirely on the installation of specific astronomical software packages (e.g., Astropy or dedicated astronomy environments) and whether a corresponding alias or script has been set up by the user or system administrator.
• Implementation Varies: The exact behavior and underlying implementation of astroterm can differ significantly. It might be a simple shell alias, a small Python script, or part of a larger package's entry points.
• Dependencies: Requires Python, IPython (for enhanced interactive features), and typically Astropy and other core scientific libraries (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib) to be installed and properly configured in the environment.

astroterm is most closely associated with the Astropy project, a community-developed Python library for astronomy. When astroterm is used, it often ensures that Astropy is readily available and potentially pre-imports common Astropy sub-modules (e.g., astropy.units, astropy.constants) for immediate use, making it an ideal entry point for Astropy-centric work.

It provides an interactive prompt where users can type Python code, execute commands, and get immediate feedback. This makes it ideal for data exploration, quick calculations, script development, and educational exercises within an astronomical context, leveraging the full power of Python's scientific stack.

The concept of a specialized 'astroterm' emerged with the growing use of Python and its rich ecosystem of scientific libraries, particularly Astropy, as primary tools for astronomical research and education. While not a formally developed 'command' in the traditional sense, the practice of creating an astroterm alias or script became common among users and distributors of astronomical software. This provided a quick-start, pre-configured interactive environment, streamlining the workflow for astronomers by reducing initial setup time and ensuring access to essential tools. It reflects a community-driven effort to enhance usability rather than a distinct software project with a formal development history.

python(1), ipython(1), pip(1), Astropy (Python library for astronomy)