OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

0.99°S, 77.81°WAmerica/Guayaquil

Daylight+75.7°

12:34:02

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 31m of true darkness · 11h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:20

Nautical18:45

Full Dark19:09

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:40

Nautical05:05

Civil Dawn05:30

Sunrise05:51

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-50.3°

DISTANCE380,071 km

Moonrise16:00

Moonset03:37

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	69.7°	213°	Libra	05:46	11:48	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	17.2°	285°	Leo	01:46	07:46	13:46	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-62.1°	89°	Pisces	16:40	22:41	04:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	8.7°	288°	Cancer	01:11	07:12	13:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	67.9°	155°	Libra	07:10	13:13	19:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-58.1°	311°	Taurus	20:12	02:16	08:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-54.5°	92°	Pisces	16:10	22:11	04:16	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

RISES16:00

BEST TIME22:11N · 85° high

SETS03:37

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:46

BEST TIME07:46N · 75° high

SETS13:46

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

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:41N · 88° high

SETS04:46

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

RISES05:46

BEST TIME11:48S · 73° high

SETS17:50

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

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:12N · 71° high

SETS13:12

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.