OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.58°N, 115.58°WAmerica/Tijuana
Daylight+21.4°
08:45:55
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 53m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:00
Civil Dusk18:25
Nautical18:54
Full Dark19:22
Nadir00:26
Dark Ends05:30
Nautical05:59
Civil Dawn06:28
Sunrise06:53
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Sirius Arcturus Capella Rigel Betelgeuse Aldebaran Spica Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4) Uranus (5.6)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-49.5°
DISTANCE380,477 km
Moonrise16:27
Moonset04:13
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♀ Visible Low -4.318.1°126°Libra07:0512:1917:33Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.070.7°201°Leo01:3708:1714:56Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-40.8°307°Pisces17:0623:1605:21Naked Eye
Mars♂ Optimal Visibility 1.069.6°228°Cancer00:5207:4214:32Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Rising / Setting 0.41.3°116°Libra08:3813:4318:49Binoculars
Uranus♅ Visible Low 5.611.3°288°Taurus19:4402:4709:45Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-47.1°313°Pisces16:4122:4604:46Telescope
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
RISES16:27
BEST TIME22:02S · 55° high
SETS04:13
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:37
BEST TIME08:17S · 72° high
SETS14:56
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:06
BEST TIME23:16S · 59° high
SETS05:21
Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES07:05
BEST TIME12:19S · 40° high
SETS17:33
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:52
BEST TIME07:42S · 75° high
SETS14:32
Reaches about 75° 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.