Declinations

Endpoint POST https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations

Overview

Computes the equatorial declination (north/south angle from the celestial equator) for each planet using the Swiss Ephemeris. Detects parallel (same declination, like a conjunction) and contraparallel (opposite declination, like an opposition) aspects.

Declination-based aspects are an entirely separate dimension from ecliptic aspects. Two planets can have no ecliptic aspect yet be in tight parallel — creating a powerful hidden connection that longitude-only analysis misses.

Also flags out-of-bounds planets (declination exceeding the Sun’s maximum of ~23.44°), which traditionally indicates heightened, unconventional, or extreme expression.

Authentication

Method	Example
Header (recommended)	`X-Api-Key: am_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx`
Bearer	`Authorization: Bearer am_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx`
Query	`?api_key=am_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx`

Request body

Field	Type	Required	Description
`year`	integer	Yes	Birth year.
`month`	integer	Yes	Birth month.
`day`	integer	Yes	Birth day.
`hour`	integer	Yes	Birth hour.
`minute`	integer	Yes	Birth minute.
`second`	integer	No	Default `0`.
`latitude`	number	Yes	Decimal degrees.
`longitude`	number	Yes	Decimal degrees.
`timezone`	string	Yes	IANA timezone.
`house_system`	string	No	Default `placidus`.
`node_type`	string	No	`true`, `mean`, or `both`. Default `true`.
`orb`	number	No	Parallel/contraparallel orb in degrees (0–3). Default `1`.

Out of bounds

A planet is out of bounds when its declination exceeds ~23.44° (the Sun’s maximum, set by Earth’s axial tilt). Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Venus can go OOB; outer planets rarely do. OOB planets are traditionally interpreted as operating “outside the rules” — exceptional, unconventional, or extreme in their expression.

Response shape

data.planets.{name} — each planet with declination (degrees), direction (north/south), and out_of_bounds flag.

data.aspects[] — parallel and contraparallel aspects sorted by orb.

data.out_of_bounds — array of OOB planet names.

Errors

HTTP	Code	Cause
400	`MISSING_FIELD`	Required field absent.
400	`INVALID_PARAM`	Invalid `house_system` or `orb` outside 0–3.
500	`EPHEMERIS_ERROR`	Computation failed.

# Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key from your dashboard
curl -X POST "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "orb": 1
    }'

const response = await fetch(
  'https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      year: 1990,
      month: 5,
      day: 20,
      hour: 14,
      minute: 30,
      second: 0,
      latitude: 28.6139,
      longitude: 77.209,
      timezone: 'Asia/Kolkata',
      house_system: 'placidus',
      node_type: 'true',
      orb: 1
    })
  }
);
const result = await response.json();

if (result.success) {
  console.log(result.data);
}

import requests
import os

response = requests.post(
    'https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations',
    headers={'X-Api-Key': os.environ['STARSAPI_KEY']},
    json={
        'year': 1990,
        'month': 5,
        'day': 20,
        'hour': 14,
        'minute': 30,
        'second': 0,
        'latitude': 28.6139,
        'longitude': 77.209,
        'timezone': 'Asia/Kolkata',
        'house_system': 'placidus',
        'node_type': 'true',
        'orb': 1
    }
)
result = response.json()

if result['success']:
    print(result['data'])

<?php
$payload = [
    'year' => 1990,
    'month' => 5,
    'day' => 20,
    'hour' => 14,
    'minute' => 30,
    'second' => 0,
    'latitude' => 28.6139,
    'longitude' => 77.209,
    'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata',
    'house_system' => 'placidus',
    'node_type' => 'true',
    'orb' => 1,
];

$ch = curl_init('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($payload));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'X-Api-Key: ' . getenv('STARSAPI_KEY'),
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
$data = json_decode($response, true);

if ($data['success']) {
    print_r($data['data']);
}

import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
import 'dart:convert';

Future<Map<String, dynamic>> getAscendant() async {
  final response = await http.post(
    Uri.parse('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations'),
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: jsonEncode({
      'year': 1990,
      'month': 5,
      'day': 20,
      'hour': 14,
      'minute': 30,
      'second': 0,
      'latitude': 28.6139,
      'longitude': 77.209,
      'timezone': 'Asia/Kolkata',
      'house_system': 'placidus',
      'node_type': 'true',
      'orb': 1,
    }),
  );
  return jsonDecode(response.body);
}

import Foundation

func getAscendant() async throws -> [String: Any] {
    var request = URLRequest(url: URL(string:
        "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations"
    )!)
    request.httpMethod = "POST"
    request.setValue("YOUR_API_KEY", forHTTPHeaderField: "X-Api-Key")
    request.setValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
    request.httpBody = """
        {
            "year": 1990,
            "month": 5,
            "day": 20,
            "hour": 14,
            "minute": 30,
            "second": 0,
            "latitude": 28.6139,
            "longitude": 77.209,
            "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
            "house_system": "placidus",
            "node_type": "true",
            "orb": 1
        }
        """.data(using: .utf8)

    let (data, _) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request)
    return try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data) as! [String: Any]
}

import okhttp3.*
import org.json.JSONObject

val client = OkHttpClient()
val JSON = "application/json; charset=utf-8".toMediaType()

fun getAscendant(callback: (JSONObject) -> Unit) {
    val payload = """
    {
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "orb": 1
    }
    """.trimIndent()

    val request = Request.Builder()
        .url("https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations")
        .addHeader("X-Api-Key", "YOUR_API_KEY")
        .post(payload.toRequestBody(JSON))
        .build()

    client.newCall(request).enqueue(object : Callback {
        override fun onResponse(call: Call, response: Response) {
            callback(JSONObject(response.body!!.string()))
        }
        override fun onFailure(call: Call, e: java.io.IOException) {
            e.printStackTrace()
        }
    })
}

package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "os"
)

func main() {
    payload, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "orb": 1,
    })

    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST",
        "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations",
        bytes.NewBuffer(payload))
    req.Header.Set("X-Api-Key", os.Getenv("STARSAPI_KEY"))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

    resp, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var result map[string]interface{}
    json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&result)
    fmt.Println(result["data"])
}

require 'net/http'
require 'json'

uri = URI('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/natal/declinations')
payload = {
  'year' => 1990,
  'month' => 5,
  'day' => 20,
  'hour' => 14,
  'minute' => 30,
  'second' => 0,
  'latitude' => 28.6139,
  'longitude' => 77.209,
  'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata',
  'house_system' => 'placidus',
  'node_type' => 'true',
  'orb' => 1
}

req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
req['X-Api-Key'] = ENV['STARSAPI_KEY']
req['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
req.body = payload.to_json

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true
res = http.request(req)

data = JSON.parse(res.body)
puts data['data'] if data['success']

200 RESPONSE

{
  "status": 200,
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "planets": {
      "Sun":   { "longitude": 59.09, "sign": "Taurus",  "degree": "29°05'34\"", "declination": 19.9582, "direction": "north", "out_of_bounds": false },
      "Moon":  { "longitude": 1.47,  "sign": "Aries",   "degree": "1°28'01\"",  "declination": 4.201,   "direction": "north", "out_of_bounds": false },
      "Mars":  { "longitude": 351.95,"sign": "Pisces",  "degree": "21°56'58\"", "declination": -4.8286, "direction": "south", "out_of_bounds": false },
      "Uranus":{ "longitude": 278.12,"sign": "Capricorn","degree": "8°07'12\"",  "declination": -23.56,  "direction": "south", "out_of_bounds": true }
    },
    "aspects": [
      { "type": "parallel", "planet1": "Sun", "planet1_declination": 19.96, "planet2": "Mercury", "planet2_declination": 19.12, "orb": 0.84, "nature": "harmonious" },
      { "type": "contraparallel", "planet1": "Moon", "planet1_declination": 4.2, "planet2": "Mars", "planet2_declination": -4.83, "orb": 0.63, "nature": "challenging" }
    ],
    "out_of_bounds": ["Uranus"],
    "total_parallels": 2,
    "total_contraparallels": 4,
    "orb_used": 1
  },
  "meta": { "endpoint": "/api/v3/western/natal/declinations", "version": "3.0" }
}