OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

7.68°N, 81.00°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+68.2°

11:26:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 45m of true darkness · 12h 6m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:05

Civil Dusk18:26

Nautical18:51

Full Dark19:15

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:00

Nautical05:25

Civil Dawn05:49

Sunrise06:11

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-67.7°

DISTANCE380,323 km

Moonrise16:12

Moonset03:49

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	62.9°	162°	Libra	06:10	12:01	17:52	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	38.6°	282°	Leo	01:49	07:59	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-78.0°	41°	Pisces	16:52	22:54	05:00	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	30.3°	286°	Cancer	01:12	07:24	13:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	49.1°	135°	Libra	07:36	13:25	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-36.8°	304°	Taurus	20:11	02:29	08:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-73.1°	65°	Pisces	16:23	22:24	04:29	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

RISES16:12

BEST TIME22:24S · 87° high

SETS03:49

Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:49

BEST TIME07:59N · 83° high

SETS14:08

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:54S · 84° high

SETS05:00

Reaches about 84° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:10

BEST TIME12:01S · 64° high

SETS17:52

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

RISES01:12

BEST TIME07:24N · 80° high

SETS13:36

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.