OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

26.30°N, 100.80°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+51.4°
11:56:05
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:07
Civil Dusk18:31
Nautical18:58
Full Dark19:25
Nadir00:27
Dark Ends05:29
Nautical05:56
Civil Dawn06:23
Sunrise06:47
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 Deneb Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-54.7°
DISTANCE379,989 km
Moonrise16:29
Moonset04:11
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 -4.345.3°172°Libra06:5612:2017:44Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.037.9°268°Leo01:4708:1814:49Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-60.3°21°Pisces17:0823:1205:21Naked Eye
Mars♂ Optimal Visibility 1.031.5°276°Cancer01:0407:4314:22Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.435.9°148°Libra08:2613:4419:03Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-26.7°315°Taurus19:5802:4809:33Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-58.7°36°Pisces16:4222:4304:48Telescope
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
RISES16:29
BEST TIME22:46S · 68° high
SETS04:11
Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:47
BEST TIME08:18S · 78° high
SETS14:49
Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:08
BEST TIME23:12S · 65° high
SETS05:21
Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:56
BEST TIME12:20S · 46° high
SETS17:44
Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:04
BEST TIME07:43S · 82° high
SETS14:22
Reaches about 82° 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.