OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.25°S, 80.00°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+82.7°

12:18:36

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 23m of true darkness · 11h 44m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:12

Civil Dusk18:33

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:04

Dark Ends04:45

Nautical05:10

Civil Dawn05:35

Sunrise05:56

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-56.0°

DISTANCE380,129 km

Moonrise16:10

Moonset03:46

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	76.2°	202°	Libra	05:49	11:57	18:05	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	21.7°	288°	Leo	01:59	07:55	13:51	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-67.9°	99°	Pisces	16:49	22:50	04:54	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	13.0°	290°	Cancer	01:25	07:20	13:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	68.0°	137°	Libra	07:12	13:21	19:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-55.6°	300°	Taurus	20:27	02:25	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-60.1°	100°	Pisces	16:18	22:20	04:25	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

RISES16:10

BEST TIME22:20N · 80° high

SETS03:46

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:59

BEST TIME07:55N · 70° high

SETS13:51

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:49

BEST TIME22:50N · 83° high

SETS04:54

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

RISES05:49

BEST TIME11:57S · 77° high

SETS18:05

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:25

BEST TIME07:20N · 67° high

SETS13:15

Reaches about 67° 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.