OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.54°N, 82.42°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+61.4°

13:35:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 46m of true darkness · 12h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:10

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:56

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:56

Sunrise06:17

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-38.9°

DISTANCE379,840 km

Moonrise16:17

Moonset03:55

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/Panama

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	55.5°	220°	Libra	06:17	12:07	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.0°	283°	Leo	01:54	08:04	14:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-49.9°	77°	Pisces	16:57	22:59	05:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.6°	288°	Cancer	01:15	07:30	13:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	60.5°	182°	Libra	07:43	13:31	19:19	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-57.1°	335°	Taurus	20:16	02:34	08:49	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-43.0°	82°	Pisces	16:28	22:29	04:35	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

RISES16:17

BEST TIME22:30S · 86° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME08:04N · 84° high

SETS14:15

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

RISES16:57

BEST TIME22:59S · 83° high

SETS05:05

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:17

BEST TIME12:07S · 64° high

SETS17:56

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME07:30N · 81° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 81° 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.