OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

17.50°S, 70.22°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+60.1°

13:26:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 53m of true darkness · 11h 23m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:43

Civil Dusk18:05

Nautical18:32

Full Dark18:58

Nadir23:24

Dark Ends03:51

Nautical04:17

Civil Dawn04:44

Sunrise05:06

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-29.2°

DISTANCE379,876 km

Moonrise15:32

Moonset03:06

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/Lima

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	59.5°	264°	Libra	04:53	11:18	17:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-6.2°	283°	Leo	01:33	07:16	12:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-39.4°	103°	Pisces	16:11	22:10	04:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-15.1°	284°	Cancer	01:01	06:41	12:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	79.2°	250°	Libra	06:13	12:42	19:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-84.5°	310°	Taurus	20:08	01:46	07:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-31.7°	102°	Pisces	15:39	21:41	03:47	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

RISES15:32

BEST TIME21:40N · 68° high

SETS03:06

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:33

BEST TIME07:16N · 58° high

SETS12:59

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:11

BEST TIME22:10N · 71° high

SETS04:14

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:53

BEST TIME11:18S · 90° high

SETS17:42

Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:01

BEST TIME06:41N · 55° high

SETS12:20

Reaches about 55° 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.