OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.96°S, 80.71°WAmerica/Guayaquil

Daylight+63.2°

13:46:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 31m of true darkness · 11h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:21

Nadir00:07

Dark Ends04:52

Nautical05:17

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:02

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-35.7°

DISTANCE379,802 km

Moonrise16:12

Moonset03:48

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	58.8°	235°	Libra	05:58	12:00	18:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	2.7°	284°	Leo	01:57	07:58	13:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-46.7°	89°	Pisces	16:51	22:52	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.2°	288°	Cancer	01:21	07:23	13:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	69.4°	194°	Libra	07:21	13:24	19:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-67.6°	335°	Taurus	20:24	02:28	08:28	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-39.2°	91°	Pisces	16:21	22:23	04:28	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

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:23N · 85° high

SETS03:48

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:57

BEST TIME07:58N · 75° high

SETS13:58

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:52N · 88° high

SETS04:58

Reaches about 88° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:58

BEST TIME12:00S · 73° high

SETS18:02

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:21

BEST TIME07:23N · 71° high

SETS13:24

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.