OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.82°N, 90.28°WAmerica/Guatemala
Daylight+62.6°
11:40:00
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 55m of true darkness · 12h 20m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:35
Civil Dusk17:57
Nautical18:22
Full Dark18:47
Nadir23:45
Dark Ends04:42
Nautical05:08
Civil Dawn05:33
Sunrise05:55
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Altair Spica Antares Deneb Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-56.6°
DISTANCE380,049 km
Moonrise15:48
Moonset03:28
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Optimal Visibility -4.356.2°181°Libra05:5811:3817:18Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.031.3°277°Leo01:1807:3613:54Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-65.9°45°Pisces16:2822:3104:38Naked Eye
Mars♂ Visible Low 1.023.8°283°Cancer00:3807:0113:24Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.448.0°150°Libra07:2613:0218:39Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-38.5°315°Taurus19:3502:0608:32Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-61.3°59°Pisces16:0022:0104:06Telescope
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
RISES15:48
BEST TIME22:02S · 79° high
SETS03:28
Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:18
BEST TIME07:36S · 89° high
SETS13:54
Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:28
BEST TIME22:31S · 76° high
SETS04:38
Reaches about 76° 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 TIME11:38S · 56° high
SETS17:18
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:38
BEST TIME07:01N · 88° high
SETS13:24
Reaches about 88° 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

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.