*match pyephem snapshot to atlas exposures*

        **Key Arguments:**
            - ``pyephemDB`` -- the pyephem solar-system snapshot database
            - ``exposures`` -- the atlas exposures to match against the snapshot
            - ``mjd`` -- the MJD of the pyephem snapshot

        **Return:**
            - ``matchedObjects`` -- these objects matched in the neighbourhood of the ATLAS exposures (list of dictionaries)

def _match_pyephem_snapshot_to_atlas_exposures(
            self,
            pyephemDB,
            exposures,
            mjd):
        """*match pyephem snapshot to atlas exposures*

        **Key Arguments:**
            - ``pyephemDB`` -- the pyephem solar-system snapshot database
            - ``exposures`` -- the atlas exposures to match against the snapshot
            - ``mjd`` -- the MJD of the pyephem snapshot

        **Return:**
            - ``matchedObjects`` -- these objects matched in the neighbourhood of the ATLAS exposures (list of dictionaries)
        """
        self.log.info(
            'starting the ``_match_pyephem_snapshot_to_atlas_exposures`` method')

        global DEG_TO_RAD_FACTOR
        global RAD_TO_DEG_FACTOR
        global moversDict

        e = len(exposures)

        print "Matching %(e)s ATLAS exposures against the pyephem snapshot for MJD = %(mjd)s" % locals()

        # MAKE SURE HEALPIX SMALL ENOUGH TO MATCH FOOTPRINTS CORRECTLY
        global nside

        # GRAB PARAMETERS FROM SETTINGS FILE
        tileSide = float(self.settings["pyephem"]["atlas exposure match side"])
        magLimit = float(self.settings["pyephem"]["magnitude limit"])

        # EXPLODE OUT THE PYEPHEM DATABASE
        ra = pyephemDB["ra_deg"]
        dec = pyephemDB["dec_deg"]
        healpix = pyephemDB["healpix"]
        objects = pyephemDB["object_name"]
        mpc_numbers = pyephemDB["mpc_number"]
        mag = pyephemDB["mag"]

        # INDEX PYEPHEM MOVERS IN DICTIONARY BY HEALPIX ID
        moversDict = defaultdict(list)
        for ind, (p, r, d, o, m, g) in enumerate(zip(healpix, ra, dec, objects, mpc_numbers, mag)):
            moversDict[p].append(
                {"object_name": o,
                 "ra_deg": r,
                 "dec_deg": d,
                 "mpc_number": m,
                 "mag": g
                 }
            )

        # MATCH THE PYEPHEM MOVERS AGAINST THE ATLAS EXPOSURES
        matchedObjects = []
        results = fmultiprocess(log=self.log, function=_match_single_exposure_against_pyephem_db, timeout=120,
                                inputArray=exposures)
        for r in results:
            matchedObjects += r

        self.log.info(
            'completed the ``_match_pyephem_snapshot_to_atlas_exposures`` method')
        return matchedObjects