Equatorial
For the equatorial coordinates, the position of an object as a function of right ascension and declination (plus proper motion) should be provided as a set of consecutive fields (separated by spaces). Each one of the fields is described in the following table (required fields are highlighted):
| Description | Format | Default value |
| Right ascension in hours, minutes and seconds | hh:mm:ss.s | Required |
| Right ascension proper motion in milliarcsec per year (i.e.: ΔRA·cos(δ)) | A real number | It is assumed to be 0.0 if absent |
| Declination in degrees, minutes and seconds | dd:mm:ss.s | Required |
| Declination proper motion in milliarcsec per year | A real number | It is assumed to be 0.0 if absent |
| Reference epoch | A real number | It is assumed to be 2000.0 if absent |
Minor planet
For certain objects in the Solar System (such as asteroids, TNOs, etc.), providing their heliocentric orbital elements is much more adequate than providing the equatorial coordinates. The required orbital elements can be provided manually (fields separated by spaces) or copied from characters 21 to 103 (columns 4 to 11) at the MPC. For additional information regarding the MPC format, please visit the following link. Each one of the required fields is described in the following table:
Important notice: The orbital elements provided are assumed to be constant and valid for the observation period. No propagation of the orbital elements is done due to interaction with other Solar System bodies, or due to any other reasons. Therefore, MPC orbital elements may not be suitable in some cases.
| Description | Format | Default value |
| Epoch (i.e.: time of mean anomaly) In years, months and fractional days, in Julian Date, or in MPC packed form |
yyyy mm dd.ffff yyymdffff A real number |
Required (Except fractional part of days) |
| Mean anomaly in degrees from perihelion | A real number | Required |
| Argument of perihelion in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
| Longitude of ascending node in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
| Inclination in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
| Eccentricity | A real number | Required |
| Mean daily motion in degrees per day | A real number | Required |
| Semi-major axis in Astronomical Units | A real number | Required |
Comet
When computing the ephemeris for some Solar System objects (such as comets), it may be better to use the orbital elements computed at perihelion. The required orbital elements can be provided manually (fields separated by spaces) or copied from characters 15 to 79 (columns 2 to 9) at the MPC. For additional information regarding the MPC format, please visit the following link. Each one of the required fields is described in the following table:
Important notice: The orbital elements provided are assumed to be constant and valid for the observation period. No propagation of the orbital elements is done due to interaction with other Solar System bodies, or due to any other reasons. Therefore, MPC orbital elements may not be suitable in some cases.
| Description | Format | Default value |
| Date of perihelion passage In years, months and fractional days or in Julian Date |
yyyy mm dd.ffff A real number |
Required (Except fractional part of days) |
| Perihelion distance in Astronomical Units | A real number | Required |
| Eccentricity | A real number | Required |
| Argument of perihelion in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
| Longitude of ascending node in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
| Inclination in degrees at J2000.0 | A real number | Required |
TLE / Earth satellite
For artificial satellites orbiting the Earth, select the TLE coordinate type and provide the satellite's Two-Line Element set. These orbital elements are used to calculate the satellite's position for the observation time and telescope location.
Paste the two original TLE lines into the coordinate field, with line 1 followed by line 2 on a separate line. Each line must contain exactly 69 characters, including spaces and the final checksum digit. Preserve all spaces and line breaks: TLE fields occupy fixed columns and must not be reformatted as space-separated values.
| Description | Format | Default value |
| TLE line 1: satellite identification, epoch and associated orbital parameters | 69 characters, starting with 1 |
Required |
| TLE line 2: orbital elements and revolution number | 69 characters, starting with 2 |
Required |
| Satellite name above the two TLE lines | A separate text line | Optional; not part of the orbital elements |
Both TLE lines must identify the same satellite and include valid checksums. MUR validates the line lengths, field formats and orbital element ranges before accepting the target. An optional name line above the two orbital lines is accepted, but only the two orbital lines are retained in the coordinate field.
Example: This historical ISS TLE illustrates the required format. It is not suitable for current observations.
1 25544U 98067A 19343.69339541 .00001764 00000-0 38792-4 0 9991 2 25544 51.6439 211.2001 0007417 17.6667 85.6398 15.50103472202482
Importing multiple satellites: Paste consecutive two-line sets into the target import dialog. Each set may be preceded by a satellite name or by name,tle on a separate line. If no name is provided, MUR assigns one using the satellite's catalogue number.
Important notice: Use a recent TLE appropriate for the planned observation time. Its age is determined by the epoch in line 1, not by when it is entered into MUR. Passing the format checks does not guarantee that the orbit is accurate or current. Update the TLE before observing when newer orbital data are available.