OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

9.14°N, 79.96°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+65.2°

11:09:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 47m of true darkness · 12h 8m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:59

Civil Dusk18:21

Nautical18:46

Full Dark19:10

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:57

Nautical05:22

Civil Dawn05:46

Sunrise06:08

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-69.9°

DISTANCE380,389 km

Moonrise16:07

Moonset03:45

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	60.4°	156°	Libra	06:08	11:57	17:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	42.2°	281°	Leo	01:44	07:55	14:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-78.5°	22°	Pisces	16:47	22:49	04:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	33.9°	285°	Cancer	01:06	07:20	13:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	45.6°	133°	Libra	07:34	13:21	19:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-33.1°	303°	Taurus	20:05	02:25	08:40	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-75.3°	54°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:25	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

RISES16:07

BEST TIME22:20S · 85° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME07:55N · 85° high

SETS14:06

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

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:49S · 82° high

SETS04:56

Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:08

BEST TIME11:57S · 63° high

SETS17:46

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

RISES01:06

BEST TIME07:20N · 81° high

SETS13:34

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.