OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.68°N, 100.19°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+59.7°
12:30:42
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:12
Civil Dusk18:34
Nautical19:00
Full Dark19:26
Nadir00:25
Dark Ends05:24
Nautical05:49
Civil Dawn06:15
Sunrise06:37
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-53.0°
DISTANCE379,860 km
Moonrise16:28
Moonset04:09
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 -4.353.2°185°Libra06:4212:1717:53Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Visible Low -2.029.0°276°Leo01:5408:1514:37Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-62.0°46°Pisces17:0723:1005:17Naked Eye
Mars♂ Visible Low 1.021.8°282°Cancer01:1407:4114:08Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.446.7°155°Libra08:1013:4219:14Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-38.2°319°Taurus20:1002:4509:17Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-57.5°58°Pisces16:4022:4004:45Telescope
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
RISES16:28
BEST TIME22:43S · 76° high
SETS04:09
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:54
BEST TIME08:15S · 86° high
SETS14:37
Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:07
BEST TIME23:10S · 73° high
SETS05:17
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:42
BEST TIME12:17S · 53° high
SETS17:53
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:14
BEST TIME07:41S · 89° high
SETS14:08
Reaches about 89° 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.