OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.51°N, 98.90°WAmerica/Mexico_City

Daylight+59.6°

11:43:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 57m of true darkness · 12h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:08

Civil Dusk18:30

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:21

Nadir00:19

Dark Ends05:18

Nautical05:43

Civil Dawn06:09

Sunrise06:31

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-61.6°

DISTANCE380,035 km

Moonrise16:23

Moonset04:03

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/Mexico_City

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	53.8°	168°	Libra	06:35	12:12	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	38.7°	275°	Leo	01:50	08:10	14:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-68.9°	26°	Pisces	17:02	23:05	05:12	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	31.3°	281°	Cancer	01:10	07:36	14:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	42.5°	143°	Libra	08:03	13:37	19:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-31.9°	310°	Taurus	20:07	02:40	09:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-66.2°	45°	Pisces	16:34	22:35	04:40	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

RISES16:23

BEST TIME22:38S · 77° high

SETS04:03

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME08:10S · 87° high

SETS14:30

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

RISES17:02

BEST TIME23:05S · 74° high

SETS05:12

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

RISES06:35

BEST TIME12:12S · 55° high

SETS17:50

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:36N · 90° high

SETS14:01

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.