OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.46°N, 82.28°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+65.0°

11:12:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 46m of true darkness · 12h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:09

Civil Dusk18:31

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:20

Nadir00:13

Dark Ends05:06

Nautical05:31

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:17

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-71.4°

DISTANCE380,375 km

Moonrise16:17

Moonset03:55

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°	153°	Libra	06:16	12:06	17:56	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	43.4°	282°	Leo	01:54	08:04	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-79.6°	17°	Pisces	16:57	22:59	05:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	35.1°	286°	Cancer	01:16	07:29	13:42	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	45.1°	131°	Libra	07:42	13:31	19:19	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-32.3°	302°	Taurus	20:15	02:34	08:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-76.8°	53°	Pisces	16:28	22:29	04:34	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

RISES16:17

BEST TIME22:29S · 86° high

SETS03:55

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME08:04N · 84° high

SETS14:14

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

RISES16:57

BEST TIME22:59S · 83° high

SETS05:05

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

RISES06:16

BEST TIME12:06S · 64° high

SETS17:56

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

RISES01:16

BEST TIME07:29N · 81° high

SETS13:42

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.