OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.05°N, 111.03°WAmerica/Hermosillo

Daylight+48.4°

12:06:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:44

Civil Dusk18:09

Nautical18:37

Full Dark19:04

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:11

Nautical05:39

Civil Dawn06:07

Sunrise06:32

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-47.7°

DISTANCE379,727 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset03:54

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/Hermosillo

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	42.0°	182°	Libra	06:43	12:00	17:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	31.3°	269°	Leo	01:23	07:59	14:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-54.1°	31°	Pisces	16:48	22:53	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	25.5°	277°	Cancer	00:39	07:24	14:10	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	35.6°	157°	Libra	08:14	13:25	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-28.3°	322°	Taurus	19:32	02:29	09:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-51.7°	43°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	04:28	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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:28S · 65° high

SETS03:54

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:23

BEST TIME07:59S · 74° high

SETS14:35

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:53S · 61° high

SETS05:02

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:43

BEST TIME12:00S · 42° high

SETS17:19

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:39

BEST TIME07:24S · 78° high

SETS14:10

Reaches about 78° 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.