OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

20.40°N, 89.54°WAmerica/Merida

Daylight+54.2°

10:36:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:28

Civil Dusk17:50

Nautical18:16

Full Dark18:42

Nadir23:42

Dark Ends04:42

Nautical05:08

Civil Dawn05:34

Sunrise05:56

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-64.1°

DISTANCE380,287 km

Moonrise15:44

Moonset03:24

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/Merida

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	49.0°	158°	Libra	06:02	11:35	17:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	46.0°	270°	Leo	01:09	07:33	13:56	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-68.0°	4°	Pisces	16:24	22:28	04:35	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	38.8°	277°	Cancer	00:29	06:58	13:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	35.7°	137°	Libra	07:30	12:59	18:29	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-24.5°	306°	Taurus	19:24	02:03	08:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-68.0°	25°	Pisces	15:57	21:58	04:03	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

RISES15:44

BEST TIME21:59S · 74° high

SETS03:24

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:33S · 84° high

SETS13:56

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:24

BEST TIME22:28S · 71° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:02

BEST TIME11:35S · 52° high

SETS17:08

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

RISES00:29

BEST TIME06:58S · 88° high

SETS13:28

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

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.