OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.57°N, 89.97°WAmerica/Guatemala
Daylight+57.4°
12:57:01
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 55m of true darkness · 12h 19m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:34
Civil Dusk17:56
Nautical18:21
Full Dark18:46
Nadir23:44
Dark Ends04:41
Nautical05:06
Civil Dawn05:32
Sunrise05:53
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-39.7°
DISTANCE379,761 km
Moonrise15:47
Moonset03:26
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 -4.351.1°211°Libra05:5611:3717:17Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Visible Low -2.012.6°282°Leo01:1707:3513:52Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-49.9°68°Pisces16:2622:2904:36Naked Eye
Mars♂ Rising / Setting 1.05.6°287°Cancer00:3607:0013:23Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.453.5°178°Libra07:2413:0118:38Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-49.7°336°Taurus19:3502:0508:31Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-43.8°75°Pisces15:5922:0004:05Telescope
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
RISES15:47
BEST TIME22:01S · 79° high
SETS03:26
Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:17
BEST TIME07:35S · 89° high
SETS13:52
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
RISES16:26
BEST TIME22:29S · 76° high
SETS04:36
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
RISES05:56
BEST TIME11:37S · 57° high
SETS17:17
Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:36
BEST TIME07:00N · 88° high
SETS13:23
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.