OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.86°N, 91.78°WAmerica/Merida

Daylight+60.4°

12:03:23

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

Sunset17:39

Civil Dusk18:01

Nautical18:27

Full Dark18:52

Nadir23:51

Dark Ends04:50

Nautical05:15

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:03

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-52.0°

DISTANCE379,962 km

Moonrise15:54

Moonset03:34

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/Merida

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	53.9°	188°	Libra	06:07	11:44	17:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	27.4°	277°	Leo	01:21	07:42	14:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-61.4°	49°	Pisces	16:33	22:36	04:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	20.2°	283°	Cancer	00:41	07:07	13:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	48.0°	157°	Libra	07:35	13:08	18:42	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-39.8°	320°	Taurus	19:38	02:12	08:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-56.7°	61°	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 TIME22:09S · 77° high

SETS03:34

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:21

BEST TIME07:42S · 87° high

SETS14:02

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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:36S · 74° high

SETS04:44

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

RISES06:07

BEST TIME11:44S · 54° high

SETS17:21

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

RISES00:41

BEST TIME07:07N · 90° high

SETS13:33

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.