OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

7.94°N, 80.78°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+61.8°

13:28:56

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

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:50

Full Dark19:14

Nadir00:07

Dark Ends05:00

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:49

Sunrise06:10

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-39.1°

DISTANCE379,866 km

Moonrise16:11

Moonset03:48

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	56.1°	220°	Libra	06:10	12:00	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.0°	283°	Leo	01:48	07:58	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-50.2°	78°	Pisces	16:51	22:53	04:59	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	1.5°	288°	Cancer	01:09	07:23	13:36	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	61.1°	182°	Libra	07:35	13:25	19:14	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-57.6°	334°	Taurus	20:10	02:28	08:42	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-43.2°	83°	Pisces	16:22	22:23	04:28	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

RISES16:11

BEST TIME22:23S · 86° high

SETS03:48

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:48

BEST TIME07:58N · 84° high

SETS14:08

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

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:53S · 84° high

SETS04:59

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 TIME12:00S · 64° high

SETS17:51

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

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:23N · 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.