OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

3.33°S, 79.81°WAmerica/Guayaquil

Daylight+77.4°

11:24:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 27m of true darkness · 11h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:11

Civil Dawn05:36

Sunrise05:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-68.8°

DISTANCE380,330 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset03:45

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	73.4°	153°	Libra	05:51	11:56	18:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	34.9°	290°	Leo	01:56	07:54	13:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-81.3°	103°	Pisces	16:48	22:49	04:54	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	26.0°	292°	Cancer	01:22	07:20	13:17	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	56.6°	124°	Libra	07:14	13:21	19:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-42.9°	296°	Taurus	20:24	02:24	08:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-73.6°	103°	Pisces	16:18	22:19	04:24	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 TIME22:19N · 82° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:56

BEST TIME07:54N · 72° high

SETS13:52

Reaches about 72° 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 TIME22:49N · 85° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:51

BEST TIME11:56S · 75° high

SETS18:01

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME07:20N · 69° high

SETS13:17

Reaches about 69° 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.