OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

13.52°S, 71.97°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+67.9°

13:02:32

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 4m of true darkness · 11h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:47

Civil Dusk18:08

Nautical18:34

Full Dark19:00

Nadir23:32

Dark Ends04:03

Nautical04:29

Civil Dawn04:55

Sunrise05:17

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-36.9°

DISTANCE379,965 km

Moonrise15:39

Moonset03:13

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	66.1°	256°	Libra	05:06	11:25	17:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	1.7°	285°	Leo	01:35	07:23	13:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-47.6°	103°	Pisces	16:18	22:17	04:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-6.8°	287°	Cancer	01:04	06:48	12:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	82.0°	202°	Libra	06:27	12:49	19:12	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-76.1°	304°	Taurus	20:08	01:53	07:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-39.9°	102°	Pisces	15:46	21:48	03:54	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

RISES15:39

BEST TIME21:47N · 72° high

SETS03:13

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME07:23N · 62° high

SETS13:10

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:18

BEST TIME22:17N · 75° high

SETS04:22

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:06

BEST TIME11:25S · 86° high

SETS17:44

Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:04

BEST TIME06:48N · 59° high

SETS12:32

Reaches about 59° 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.