OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.95°N, 77.57°WAmerica/Jamaica

Daylight+55.5°

13:06:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 57m of true darkness · 12h 24m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:42

Civil Dusk18:04

Nautical18:30

Full Dark18:55

Nadir23:54

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:18

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:06

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-38.9°

DISTANCE379,950 km

Moonrise15:55

Moonset03:35

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/Jamaica

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	49.2°	209°	Libra	06:10	11:47	17:24	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	13.4°	281°	Leo	01:24	07:45	14:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-49.2°	65°	Pisces	16:37	22:40	04:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.5°	287°	Cancer	00:43	07:11	13:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	51.1°	178°	Libra	07:39	13:12	18:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-47.4°	336°	Taurus	19:41	02:15	08:45	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-43.4°	73°	Pisces	16:09	22:10	04:15	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

RISES15:55

BEST TIME22:10S · 76° high

SETS03:35

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:24

BEST TIME07:45S · 87° high

SETS14:06

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:37

BEST TIME22:40S · 74° high

SETS04:47

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:10

BEST TIME11:47S · 54° high

SETS17:24

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:43

BEST TIME07:11S · 90° high

SETS13:37

Reaches about 90° 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.