OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.49°N, 97.53°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+46.9°
10:09:17
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 58m of true darkness · 12h 25m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:02
Civil Dusk18:24
Nautical18:49
Full Dark19:15
Nadir00:14
Dark Ends05:13
Nautical05:38
Civil Dawn06:04
Sunrise06:26
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 Vega Arcturus Capella Betelgeuse Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Jupiter (-2.0) Mars (1.0) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-70.2°
DISTANCE380,389 km
Moonrise16:17
Moonset03:58
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 -4.343.3°140°Libra06:3112:0717:43Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.059.9°267°Leo01:4308:0514:26Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-66.1°325°Pisces16:5623:0405:07Naked Eye
Mars♂ Optimal Visibility 1.052.4°276°Cancer01:0307:3013:57Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Visible Low 0.426.6°126°Libra07:5913:3119:04Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-13.6°298°Taurus20:0002:3509:06Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-70.9°342°Pisces16:2922:3404:35Telescope
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
RISES16:17
BEST TIME22:32S · 76° high
SETS03:58
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:43
BEST TIME08:05S · 86° high
SETS14:26
Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:56
BEST TIME23:04S · 73° high
SETS05:07
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:31
BEST TIME12:07S · 54° high
SETS17:43
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:03
BEST TIME07:30S · 89° high
SETS13:57
Reaches about 89° 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.