OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

22.40°N, 105.46°WAmerica/Mazatlan

Daylight+51.1°

10:28:48

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:30

Civil Dusk17:52

Nautical18:19

Full Dark18:45

Nadir23:46

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:39

Sunrise06:02

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-63.7°

DISTANCE380,091 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset03:31

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/Mazatlan

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	46.1°	156°	Libra	06:08	11:38	17:09	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	48.5°	267°	Leo	01:10	07:36	14:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-66.0°	357°	Pisces	16:27	22:35	04:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	41.6°	275°	Cancer	00:29	07:02	13:35	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	32.5°	136°	Libra	07:37	13:03	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-21.2°	305°	Taurus	19:24	02:06	08:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-67.0°	16°	Pisces	16:01	22:01	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

RISES15:49

BEST TIME22:05S · 72° high

SETS03:31

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:10

BEST TIME07:36S · 82° high

SETS14:02

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:35S · 69° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:08

BEST TIME11:38S · 50° high

SETS17:09

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:29

BEST TIME07:02S · 86° high

SETS13:35

Reaches about 86° 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.