OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.51°N, 90.45°WAmerica/Merida

Daylight+51.7°

13:16:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:32

Civil Dusk17:55

Nautical18:20

Full Dark18:46

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:45

Nautical05:11

Civil Dawn05:37

Sunrise05:59

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-34.6°

DISTANCE379,688 km

Moonrise15:48

Moonset03:28

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	45.5°	214°	Libra	06:04	11:39	17:13	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.3°	282°	Leo	01:11	07:36	13:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-44.4°	67°	Pisces	16:28	22:31	04:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	2.8°	288°	Cancer	00:32	07:02	13:30	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	49.4°	185°	Libra	07:33	13:03	18:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-47.5°	343°	Taurus	19:30	02:06	08:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-38.6°	74°	Pisces	16:01	22:02	04:06	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

RISES15:48

BEST TIME22:03S · 75° high

SETS03:28

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME07:36S · 85° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:28

BEST TIME22:31S · 72° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:04

BEST TIME11:39S · 53° high

SETS17:13

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

RISES00:32

BEST TIME07:02S · 88° high

SETS13:30

Reaches about 88° 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.