OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.69°N, 78.64°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+53.2°

14:02:17

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 46m of true darkness · 12h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:55

Civil Dusk18:16

Nautical18:41

Full Dark19:05

Nadir23:58

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:16

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:02

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-29.0°

DISTANCE379,742 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset03:40

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	48.1°	230°	Libra	06:02	11:51	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-0.4°	285°	Leo	01:35	07:49	14:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-39.7°	81°	Pisces	16:42	22:44	04:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-7.9°	290°	Cancer	01:00	07:15	13:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	58.3°	201°	Libra	07:28	13:16	19:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-59.9°	353°	Taurus	20:00	02:19	08:34	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-32.7°	85°	Pisces	16:13	22:14	04:19	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:14S · 86° high

SETS03:40

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:49N · 84° high

SETS14:00

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

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:44S · 83° high

SETS04:50

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

RISES06:02

BEST TIME11:51S · 63° high

SETS17:41

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:00

BEST TIME07:15N · 81° high

SETS13:28

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.