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Agent skill

Nasa Ads API

by wentorai in wentorai/research-plugins

Search astrophysics and physics literature via NASA ADS bibliographic database

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Nasa Ads API

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill nasa-ads-api -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wentorai/research-plugins nasa-ads-api --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wentorai/research-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/domains/physics/nasa-ads-api .claude/skills/nasa-ads-api && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
nasa-ads-api
GitHub stars
298
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
561 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
405
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Search astrophysics and physics literature via NASA ADS bibliographic database

  • Tasks that involve Physical and earth sciences
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, Authentication, Core Endpoints and Rate Limits, plus 2 more sections
  • Calls curl; reaches api.adsabs.harvard.edu

What it does

Nasa Ads API is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins. Search astrophysics and physics literature via NASA ADS bibliographic database

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Research & Science, covering Physical and earth sciences. The repository describes itself as: 350+ academic research skills, MCP configs, and plugins for Research-Claw and AI agents. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Physical and earth sciences

Example prompts

  • “/nasa-ads-api”

Requirements

  • A credential in ADS_API_TOKEN
  • A credential in YOUR_ADS_API_TOKEN

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bf44b3c. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • curl

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • api.adsabs.harvard.edu

    Also links to:

    • ui.adsabs.harvard.edu

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Nasa Ads API loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 23 tokens; SKILL.md has 561 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~23
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from wentorai/research-plugins at commit bf44b3c, republished under its MIT licence (© wentorai). 561 words, ~1,775 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/nasa-ads-api/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
nasa-ads-api
description
Search astrophysics and physics literature via NASA ADS bibliographic database

NASA ADS API Guide

Overview

The NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) is a digital library operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under a NASA grant. It is the primary bibliographic database for astronomy and astrophysics, also covering significant portions of physics, geophysics, and related disciplines. ADS indexes over 16 million records and provides access to full-text articles, citations, and usage metrics.

ADS is indispensable for astronomers and physicists. Nearly every paper in astrophysics is indexed in ADS, and the system provides powerful search capabilities including full-text search, citation and reference tracking, author disambiguation, and object-level queries (search by astronomical object name). The database integrates with SIMBAD, NED, and other astronomical databases to link publications to the celestial objects they study.

The ADS API requires a free API token and supports 3,000 requests per day. It returns JSON and supports a rich query language with field-specific searches, boolean operators, and positional queries.

Authentication

Authentication is required via a free API token. Register at https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/user/settings/token to generate your token. Include it in every request as a header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ADS_API_TOKEN

Tokens do not expire but can be regenerated from the settings page. Each token is associated with a user account and is subject to per-account rate limits.

Core Endpoints

Query: Search the ADS Database
  • URL: GET https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query
  • Parameters:
    ParamTypeRequiredDescription
    qstringYesSearch query (ADS query syntax with field qualifiers)
    flstringNoFields to return (comma-separated: title, author, year, bibcode, doi, citation_count, abstract, etc.)
    rowsintegerNoResults per page (default: 10, max: 2000)
    startintegerNoPagination offset (default: 0)
    sortstringNoSort field and order (e.g., citation_count desc, date desc)
    fqstringNoFilter queries for faceting (e.g., database:astronomy)
  • Example:
    bash
    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=gravitational+waves&fl=title,author,year,bibcode,citation_count,doi&rows=10&sort=citation_count+desc"
  • Response: JSON with response.numFound (total hits) and response.docs array. Each doc contains the requested fields. The bibcode is the unique ADS identifier (19-character string encoding journal, year, volume, and page).
Author Search: Find Researcher Publications
  • URL: GET https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query
  • Parameters:
    ParamTypeRequiredDescription
    qstringYesAuthor query using author: or first_author: fields
    flstringNoFields to return
    rowsintegerNoResults per page
    sortstringNoSort order
  • Example:
    bash
    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=author:%22Hawking,+S%22&fl=title,year,bibcode,citation_count&rows=20&sort=citation_count+desc"
  • Response: JSON with matching publications by the specified author.
Show full SKILL.md (225 more words)Show less
Object Search: Find Papers About Astronomical Objects
  • URL: GET https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query
  • Parameters:
    ParamTypeRequiredDescription
    qstringYesObject query using object: field (e.g., object:"M31")
    flstringNoFields to return
    rowsintegerNoResults per page
  • Example:
    bash
    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=object:%22Sgr+A*%22&fl=title,author,year,bibcode,citation_count&rows=10&sort=date+desc"
  • Response: JSON with publications related to the specified astronomical object.
Metrics: Paper and Author Metrics
  • URL: POST https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/metrics
  • Parameters:
    ParamTypeRequiredDescription
    bibcodesarrayYesArray of ADS bibcodes (JSON body)
    typesarrayNoMetric types: basic, citations, indicators, histograms
  • Example:
    bash
    curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/metrics" \
     -d '{"bibcodes": ["2016PhRvL.116f1102A"], "types": ["basic", "citations", "indicators"]}'
  • Response: JSON with citation metrics, h-index, g-index, read counts, and citation histograms for the specified papers.

Rate Limits

The API allows 3,000 requests per day (resets at midnight UTC) and 15 requests per second burst limit. If limits are exceeded, the API returns HTTP 429 with X-RateLimit-Reset header. For large bibliometric analyses, use the ADS bulk export or the myADS notification system. Monitor usage via X-RateLimit-Remaining response headers.

Common Patterns

Literature Review in Astrophysics

Search for recent highly-cited papers on a topic:

bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=dark+energy+AND+year:2023-2026&fl=title,author,year,bibcode,citation_count,doi,abstract&rows=20&sort=citation_count+desc"
Build an Author's Publication Profile

Retrieve complete publication list with metrics:

bash
# Get publications
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=author:%22Perlmutter,+S%22&fl=title,year,bibcode,citation_count&rows=200&sort=date+desc"

# Get aggregate metrics
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/metrics" \
     -d '{"bibcodes": ["1999ApJ...517..565P", "2012ApJ...746...85S"], "types": ["basic", "indicators"]}'
Cross-Match with Astronomical Databases

Find papers about a specific object and link to SIMBAD/NED:

bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://api.adsabs.harvard.edu/v1/search/query?q=object:%22Crab+Nebula%22+AND+year:2024-2026&fl=title,author,year,bibcode,doi&rows=10&sort=date+desc"

References

© wentorai, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/domains/physics/nasa-ads-api of wentorai/research-plugins.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bf44b3c

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in wentorai/research-plugins, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

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Pymol VisualizationChatMol/ChatMol373—~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Nasa Ads API

What does Nasa Ads API do?

Search astrophysics and physics literature via NASA ADS bibliographic database. Nasa Ads API is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins.

When should I use Nasa Ads API?

Nasa Ads API fits situations like: tasks that involve Physical and earth sciences.

How do I install Nasa Ads API in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill nasa-ads-api -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/domains/physics/nasa-ads-api in wentorai/research-plugins) into .claude/skills/nasa-ads-api in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Nasa Ads API in Codex?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill nasa-ads-api -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/domains/physics/nasa-ads-api in wentorai/research-plugins) into .agents/skills/nasa-ads-api in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Nasa Ads API in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill nasa-ads-api -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/nasa-ads-api, .gemini/skills/nasa-ads-api, .github/skills/nasa-ads-api and .opencode/skills/nasa-ads-api in your project.

What does Nasa Ads API need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Nasa Ads API needs the command-line tools its instructions call (curl). Our summary lists: A credential in ADS_API_TOKEN; A credential in YOUR_ADS_API_TOKEN.

Does Nasa Ads API access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: api.adsabs.harvard.edu; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. As links in the text: ui.adsabs.harvard.edu. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Nasa Ads API safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Nasa Ads API use?

Nasa Ads API is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Nasa Ads API use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Nasa Ads API?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Nasa Ads API: Astropy (zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills, 4.7k stars), Pymatgen (zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills, 4.7k stars), Cantera Ignition Delay (K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills, 48k stars) and Weather (trpc-group/trpc-agent-go, 1.9k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Nasa Ads API?

wentorai (a GitHub user) maintains it in wentorai/research-plugins, which has 298 GitHub stars. The repository holds 405 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 19, 2026.

Source: wentorai/research-plugins on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.