OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.98°S, 79.75°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+79.7°

12:38:04

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 21m of true darkness · 11h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:11

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:22

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:43

Nautical05:08

Civil Dawn05:33

Sunrise05:54

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-51.1°

DISTANCE380,056 km

Moonrise16:09

Moonset03:45

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	74.2°	220°	Libra	05:47	11:56	18:04	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	16.7°	287°	Leo	01:58	07:54	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-62.7°	99°	Pisces	16:48	22:48	04:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	8.0°	289°	Cancer	01:25	07:19	13:13	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	71.8°	146°	Libra	07:10	13:20	19:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-60.4°	303°	Taurus	20:27	02:24	08:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-54.9°	99°	Pisces	16:17	22:19	04:24	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

RISES16:09

BEST TIME22:19N · 79° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 79° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:58

BEST TIME07:54N · 70° high

SETS13:49

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

RISES16:48

BEST TIME22:48N · 83° high

SETS04:53

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

RISES05:47

BEST TIME11:56S · 78° high

SETS18:04

Reaches about 78° 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 TIME07:19N · 66° high

SETS13:13

Reaches about 66° 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.