OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

21.48°N, 105.20°WAmerica/Mazatlan

Daylight+56.9°

11:50:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 1m of true darkness · 12h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:30

Civil Dusk17:52

Nautical18:18

Full Dark18:44

Nadir23:45

Dark Ends04:45

Nautical05:11

Civil Dawn05:37

Sunrise06:00

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-51.7°

DISTANCE379,786 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset03:29

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/Mazatlan

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	50.4°	185°	Libra	06:06	11:37	17:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	29.3°	275°	Leo	01:10	07:35	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-60.0°	42°	Pisces	16:26	22:30	04:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	22.5°	281°	Cancer	00:30	07:01	13:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	44.1°	156°	Libra	07:35	13:02	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-36.1°	320°	Taurus	19:25	02:05	08:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-56.0°	55°	Pisces	16:00	22:00	04:05	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME22:04S · 73° high

SETS03:29

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:35S · 83° high

SETS14:00

Reaches about 83° 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 TIME22:30S · 70° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:06

BEST TIME11:37S · 51° high

SETS17:09

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:30

BEST TIME07:01S · 86° high

SETS13:32

Reaches about 86° 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.