OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.23°S, 78.52°WAmerica/Guayaquil

Daylight+53.4°

14:18:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 32m of true darkness · 11h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:47

Full Dark19:12

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:44

Nautical05:09

Civil Dawn05:33

Sunrise05:54

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-25.7°

DISTANCE379,682 km

Moonrise16:03

Moonset03:39

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	49.7°	242°	Libra	05:50	11:51	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-6.7°	284°	Leo	01:44	07:49	13:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-36.4°	88°	Pisces	16:42	22:44	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-14.7°	288°	Cancer	01:11	07:14	13:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	64.3°	215°	Libra	07:14	13:16	19:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-69.1°	1°	Taurus	20:14	02:19	08:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-28.9°	91°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:19	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

RISES16:03

BEST TIME22:14N · 85° high

SETS03:39

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:49N · 75° high

SETS13:50

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

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:44N · 88° high

SETS04:49

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

RISES05:50

BEST TIME11:51S · 72° high

SETS17:52

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:14N · 72° high

SETS13:16

Reaches about 72° 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.