OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.64°N, 92.22°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+63.8°
11:52:06
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 54m of true darkness · 12h 18m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:44
Civil Dusk18:06
Nautical18:31
Full Dark18:56
Nadir23:53
Dark Ends04:50
Nautical05:15
Civil Dawn05:40
Sunrise06:02
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 Altair Spica Antares Deneb Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-56.2°
DISTANCE380,004 km
Moonrise15:56
Moonset03:36
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 -4.357.4°183°Libra06:0411:4617:27Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.030.1°278°Leo01:2707:4414:00Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-65.9°49°Pisces16:3522:3804:45Naked Eye
Mars♂ Visible Low 1.022.5°284°Cancer00:4807:0913:30Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.449.5°151°Libra07:3113:1018:49Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-40.1°315°Taurus19:4502:1408:38Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-61.0°63°Pisces16:0822:0904:14Telescope
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
RISES15:56
BEST TIME22:10S · 80° high
SETS03:36
Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:27
BEST TIME07:44S · 90° high
SETS14:00
Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:35
BEST TIME22:38S · 77° high
SETS04:45
Reaches about 77° 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 TIME11:46S · 57° high
SETS17:27
Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:48
BEST TIME07:09N · 87° high
SETS13:30
Reaches about 87° 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.