OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

23.90°N, 106.93°WAmerica/Mazatlan

Daylight+47.3°

10:15:01

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 12h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:34

Civil Dusk17:57

Nautical18:24

Full Dark18:50

Nadir23:52

Dark Ends04:53

Nautical05:19

Civil Dawn05:46

Sunrise06:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-63.8°

DISTANCE380,143 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset03:37

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	42.7°	150°	Libra	06:16	11:44	17:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	52.9°	262°	Leo	01:14	07:42	14:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-63.8°	346°	Pisces	16:33	22:41	04:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	46.2°	271°	Cancer	00:33	07:08	13:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	28.2°	133°	Libra	07:46	13:09	18:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-16.5°	303°	Taurus	19:27	02:12	08:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-66.3°	3°	Pisces	16:06	22:07	04:12	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

RISES15:54

BEST TIME22:11S · 71° high

SETS03:37

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:14

BEST TIME07:42S · 81° high

SETS14:10

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:41S · 68° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:16

BEST TIME11:44S · 48° high

SETS17:12

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:33

BEST TIME07:08S · 84° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 84° 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.