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Minor Planet Center vs Newton

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIMinor Planet CenterNEW—NewtonNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSnoyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverified (data derived from JPL/MPC)Unverified
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Minor Planet Center vs Newton: common questions

Which is more reliable, Minor Planet Center or Newton?

On our scheduled checks, Newton leads on measured uptime — Minor Planet Center at —% versus Newton at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do Minor Planet Center and Newton need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Minor Planet Center is callable with no signup, and Newton is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Minor Planet Center and Newton from the browser?

Only Newton is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Minor Planet Center needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Minor Planet Center and Newton free for commercial use?

Minor Planet Center has unclear commercial terms, and Newton has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.