OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.01°N, 81.32°WAmerica/Panama

Daylight+64.9°

13:12:40

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

Sunset18:06

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical18:52

Full Dark19:16

Nadir00:09

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:26

Civil Dawn05:51

Sunrise06:12

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-43.5°

DISTANCE379,927 km

Moonrise16:13

Moonset03:51

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	58.8°	214°	Libra	06:12	12:02	17:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	13.4°	283°	Leo	01:50	08:00	14:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-54.6°	76°	Pisces	16:53	22:55	05:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	5.7°	287°	Cancer	01:13	07:26	13:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	60.8°	173°	Libra	07:37	13:27	19:16	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-55.3°	327°	Taurus	20:12	02:30	08:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-47.8°	82°	Pisces	16:24	22:25	04:30	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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:25S · 86° high

SETS03:51

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:50

BEST TIME08:00N · 84° high

SETS14:10

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

RISES16:53

BEST TIME22:55S · 83° high

SETS05:01

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

RISES06:12

BEST TIME12:02S · 64° high

SETS17:53

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

RISES01:13

BEST TIME07:26N · 80° high

SETS13:38

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.