OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

1.55°S, 80.01°WAmerica/Guayaquil

Daylight+61.6°

13:51:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 30m of true darkness · 11h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:54

Full Dark19:19

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:49

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:38

Sunrise05:59

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-33.8°

DISTANCE379,783 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset03:46

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/Guayaquil

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	57.5°	238°	Libra	05:54	11:57	18:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	0.8°	284°	Leo	01:55	07:55	13:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-44.8°	90°	Pisces	16:48	22:50	04:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-7.2°	288°	Cancer	01:19	07:20	13:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	69.3°	200°	Libra	07:18	13:21	19:25	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-68.9°	339°	Taurus	20:22	02:25	08:24	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-37.2°	92°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:25	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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:20N · 84° high

SETS03:46

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:55

BEST TIME07:55N · 74° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:50N · 87° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:54

BEST TIME11:57S · 74° high

SETS18:00

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME07:20N · 71° high

SETS13:20

Reaches about 71° 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.