OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.50°N, 116.97°WAmerica/Mexico_City

Daylight+43.8°

12:33:44

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:05

Civil Dusk19:30

Nautical19:59

Full Dark20:28

Nadir01:32

Dark Ends06:36

Nautical07:04

Civil Dawn07:33

Sunrise07:58

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-52.7°

DISTANCE379,848 km

Moonrise17:33

Moonset05:18

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/Mexico_City

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	38.1°	164°	Libra	08:11	13:24	18:38	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	43.0°	259°	Leo	02:43	09:22	16:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-55.7°	6°	Pisces	18:12	00:17	06:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	37.6°	268°	Cancer	01:58	08:48	15:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	27.5°	144°	Libra	09:43	14:49	19:55	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-18.2°	312°	Taurus	20:50	03:52	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-56.0°	20°	Pisces	17:47	23:47	05:52	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

RISES17:33

BEST TIME23:53S · 62° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:43

BEST TIME09:22S · 72° high

SETS16:02

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:12

BEST TIME00:17S · 59° high

SETS06:26

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:11

BEST TIME13:24S · 40° high

SETS18:38

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:58

BEST TIME08:48S · 75° high

SETS15:38

Reaches about 75° 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.