OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.97°N, 88.23°WAmerica/Belize

Daylight+61.3°

11:26:56

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 56m of true darkness · 12h 22m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:26

Civil Dusk17:48

Nautical18:13

Full Dark18:39

Nadir23:37

Dark Ends04:35

Nautical05:00

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:48

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-56.9°

DISTANCE380,098 km

Moonrise15:39

Moonset03:19

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/Belize

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	55.0°	179°	Libra	05:52	11:30	17:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	32.6°	277°	Leo	01:08	07:28	13:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-65.9°	41°	Pisces	16:19	22:22	04:30	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	25.2°	282°	Cancer	00:28	06:53	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	46.4°	150°	Libra	07:19	12:54	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-36.8°	315°	Taurus	19:25	01:58	08:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-61.7°	56°	Pisces	15:52	21:53	03:58	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

RISES15:39

BEST TIME21:54S · 77° high

SETS03:19

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:08

BEST TIME07:28S · 87° high

SETS13:47

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:19

BEST TIME22:22S · 74° high

SETS04:30

Reaches about 74° 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 TIME11:30S · 55° high

SETS17:08

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:28

BEST TIME06:53N · 89° high

SETS13:18

Reaches about 89° 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.