OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

2.61°N, 60.60°WAmerica/Boa_Vista

Daylight+42.6°

14:48:40

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 37m of true darkness · 11h 57m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:47

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:33

Full Dark18:58

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:35

Nautical04:59

Civil Dawn05:24

Sunrise05:45

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-14.9°

DISTANCE379,793 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset03:25

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/Boa_Vista

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	39.1°	244°	Libra	05:42	11:40	17:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-16.2°	286°	Leo	01:30	07:37	13:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-25.8°	87°	Pisces	16:31	22:32	04:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.7°	291°	Cancer	00:56	07:03	13:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	55.3°	226°	Libra	07:06	13:04	19:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-64.0°	24°	Taurus	19:58	02:03	08:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-18.4°	90°	Pisces	16:01	22:02	04:08	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

RISES15:49

BEST TIME22:00N · 89° high

SETS03:25

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME07:37N · 78° high

SETS13:41

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:31

BEST TIME22:32S · 89° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:42

BEST TIME11:40S · 69° high

SETS17:37

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:56

BEST TIME07:03N · 75° high

SETS13:08

Reaches about 75° 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.