OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.67°N, 88.57°WAmerica/Merida

Daylight+50.7°

13:09:37

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:24

Civil Dusk17:46

Nautical18:12

Full Dark18:38

Nadir23:38

Dark Ends04:38

Nautical05:04

Civil Dawn05:30

Sunrise05:52

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-34.1°

DISTANCE379,714 km

Moonrise15:40

Moonset03:20

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	44.5°	214°	Libra	05:58	11:31	17:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.5°	282°	Leo	01:02	07:29	13:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-43.9°	66°	Pisces	16:20	22:24	04:31	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.1°	288°	Cancer	00:23	06:55	13:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	48.3°	185°	Libra	07:27	12:56	18:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-46.4°	344°	Taurus	19:20	01:59	08:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-38.2°	73°	Pisces	15:53	21:54	03:59	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

RISES15:40

BEST TIME21:55S · 74° high

SETS03:20

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:02

BEST TIME07:29S · 84° high

SETS13:53

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:20

BEST TIME22:24S · 71° high

SETS04:31

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:58

BEST TIME11:31S · 51° high

SETS17:04

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

RISES00:23

BEST TIME06:55S · 87° high

SETS13:25

Reaches about 87° 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.