*download the astorb database file*

        **Key Arguments:**
            - ``astorbgz`` -- path to the downloaded astorb database file

def _download_astorb(
            self):
        """*download the astorb database file*

        **Key Arguments:**
            - ``astorbgz`` -- path to the downloaded astorb database file
        """
        self.log.info('starting the ``_download_astorb`` method')

        # DOWNLOAD ASTORB
        url = self.settings["astorb"]["url"]
        print "Downloading orbital elements from '%(url)s'" % locals()

        response = urllib2.urlopen(url)
        data = response.read()
        astorbgz = "/tmp/astorb.dat.gz"
        file_ = open(astorbgz, 'w')
        file_.write(data)
        file_.close()

        print "Finished downloading orbital elements" % locals()

        self.log.info('completed the ``_download_astorb`` method')
        return astorbgz