OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.07°N, 78.36°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+53.5°

14:01:18

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 45m of true darkness · 12h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:54

Civil Dusk18:15

Nautical18:40

Full Dark19:04

Nadir23:57

Dark Ends04:50

Nautical05:15

Civil Dawn05:39

Sunrise06:01

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°

DISTANCE379,745 km

Moonrise16:01

Moonset03:39

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	48.5°	231°	Libra	06:00	11:50	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-0.6°	285°	Leo	01:35	07:48	13:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-39.8°	81°	Pisces	16:41	22:43	04:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-8.1°	290°	Cancer	01:00	07:14	13:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	58.9°	201°	Libra	07:26	13:15	19:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-60.5°	353°	Taurus	20:00	02:18	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-32.8°	85°	Pisces	16:12	22:13	04:18	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

RISES16:01

BEST TIME22:13S · 86° high

SETS03:39

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 TIME07:48N · 84° high

SETS13:58

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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:43S · 83° high

SETS04:49

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

RISES06:00

BEST TIME11:50S · 64° high

SETS17:41

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

RISES01:00

BEST TIME07:14N · 80° high

SETS13:26

Reaches about 80° 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.