OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.76°N, 86.52°WAmerica/Tegucigalpa

Daylight+55.3°

13:01:22

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 54m of true darkness · 12h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:21

Civil Dusk17:43

Nautical18:08

Full Dark18:33

Nadir23:30

Dark Ends04:27

Nautical04:52

Civil Dawn05:17

Sunrise05:39

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-35.7°

DISTANCE379,745 km

Moonrise15:33

Moonset03:12

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	49.3°	217°	Libra	05:42	11:23	17:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	8.2°	283°	Leo	01:04	07:21	13:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-46.1°	72°	Pisces	16:13	22:15	04:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.4°	288°	Cancer	00:23	06:46	13:08	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	54.2°	185°	Libra	07:09	12:47	18:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-52.1°	341°	Taurus	19:22	01:51	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-39.7°	78°	Pisces	15:45	21:46	03:51	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

RISES15:33

BEST TIME21:47S · 80° high

SETS03:12

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME07:21S · 90° high

SETS13:38

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:15S · 77° high

SETS04:22

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:42

BEST TIME11:23S · 57° high

SETS17:04

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

RISES00:23

BEST TIME06:46N · 87° high

SETS13:08

Reaches about 87° 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.