OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.85°N, 85.23°WAmerica/Tegucigalpa

Daylight+55.8°

12:47:44

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

Sunset17:15

Civil Dusk17:37

Nautical18:02

Full Dark18:27

Nadir23:25

Dark Ends04:22

Nautical04:48

Civil Dawn05:13

Sunrise05:35

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-37.3°

DISTANCE379,796 km

Moonrise15:27

Moonset03:07

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/Tegucigalpa

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	49.6°	214°	Libra	05:38	11:18	16:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	10.5°	282°	Leo	00:57	07:16	13:34	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-47.7°	69°	Pisces	16:07	22:10	04:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.5°	288°	Cancer	00:16	06:41	13:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	53.2°	182°	Libra	07:06	12:42	18:19	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-50.4°	339°	Taurus	19:15	01:46	08:12	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-41.5°	76°	Pisces	15:40	21:41	03:46	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

RISES15:27

BEST TIME21:42S · 78° high

SETS03:07

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:57

BEST TIME07:16S · 89° high

SETS13:34

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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:10S · 76° high

SETS04:17

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

RISES05:38

BEST TIME11:18S · 56° high

SETS16:58

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

RISES00:16

BEST TIME06:41N · 88° high

SETS13:04

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

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.