OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.86°N, 99.33°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+53.2°
10:57:24
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:08
Civil Dusk18:31
Nautical18:56
Full Dark19:22
Nadir00:21
Dark Ends05:20
Nautical05:46
Civil Dawn06:12
Sunrise06:34
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Arcturus Capella Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-67.5°
DISTANCE380,209 km
Moonrise16:24
Moonset04:05
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

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Optimal Visibility -4.348.6°152°Libra06:3812:1417:50Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.050.2°270°Leo01:5008:1214:34Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-69.4°352°Pisces17:0323:1105:14Naked Eye
Mars♂ Optimal Visibility 1.042.8°277°Cancer01:1007:3814:05Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.433.8°133°Libra08:0713:3919:10Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-21.8°303°Taurus20:0602:4209:13Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-70.9°14°Pisces16:3622:3704:42Telescope
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
RISES16:24
BEST TIME22:40S · 76° high
SETS04:05
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:50
BEST TIME08:12S · 86° high
SETS14:34
Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:03
BEST TIME23:11S · 73° high
SETS05:14
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:38
BEST TIME12:14S · 53° high
SETS17:50
Reaches about 53° 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 TIME07:38S · 89° high
SETS14:05
Reaches about 89° 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

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.