OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.61°N, 98.94°WAmerica/Mexico_City
Daylight+58.0°
12:49:09
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 27m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:06
Civil Dusk18:29
Nautical18:54
Full Dark19:20
Nadir00:20
Dark Ends05:19
Nautical05:45
Civil Dawn06:11
Sunrise06:33
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-47.8°
DISTANCE379,791 km
Moonrise16:23
Moonset04:03
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 -4.351.4°194°Libra06:3812:1217:47Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Visible Low -2.023.6°278°Leo01:4808:1014:33Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-57.1°53°Pisces17:0223:0505:13Naked Eye
Mars♂ Visible Low 1.016.6°284°Cancer01:0707:3614:04Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.447.8°163°Libra08:0713:3719:07Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-41.0°325°Taurus20:0302:4009:13Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-52.2°63°Pisces16:3522:3504:40Telescope
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
RISES16:23
BEST TIME22:38S · 75° high
SETS04:03
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:48
BEST TIME08:10S · 85° high
SETS14:33
Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:02
BEST TIME23:05S · 72° high
SETS05:13
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:38
BEST TIME12:12S · 52° high
SETS17:47
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:07
BEST TIME07:36S · 88° high
SETS14:04
Reaches about 88° 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.