OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.21°N, 59.53°WAmerica/Barbados

Daylight+53.3°

13:31:41

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 12h 15m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:56

Nautical18:21

Full Dark18:46

Nadir23:42

Dark Ends04:38

Nautical05:03

Civil Dawn05:28

Sunrise05:50

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-31.1°

DISTANCE380,080 km

Moonrise15:42

Moonset03:20

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to America/Barbados

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	47.6°	223°	Libra	05:52	11:35	17:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	3.7°	284°	Leo	01:14	07:33	13:48	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-42.3°	75°	Pisces	16:25	22:28	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-3.0°	289°	Cancer	00:37	06:59	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	55.0°	193°	Libra	07:19	13:00	18:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-54.8°	348°	Taurus	19:37	02:03	08:25	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-35.7°	81°	Pisces	15:57	21:58	04:03	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:42

BEST TIME21:55S · 81° high

SETS03:20

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:33N · 89° high

SETS13:48

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:25

BEST TIME22:28S · 78° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:52

BEST TIME11:35S · 59° high

SETS17:19

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:37

BEST TIME06:59N · 85° high

SETS13:18

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.