OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

10.67°S, 77.83°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+78.5°

12:42:34

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 11m of true darkness · 11h 35m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:07

Civil Dusk18:29

Nautical18:54

Full Dark19:19

Nadir23:55

Dark Ends04:30

Nautical04:56

Civil Dawn05:21

Sunrise05:43

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-47.6°

DISTANCE380,039 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset03:37

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	75.0°	239°	Libra	05:33	11:48	18:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	12.4°	287°	Leo	01:56	07:46	13:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-58.7°	105°	Pisces	16:41	22:41	04:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	3.7°	289°	Cancer	01:24	07:12	13:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	77.3°	145°	Libra	06:55	13:13	19:31	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-65.4°	298°	Taurus	20:27	02:16	08:01	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-51.0°	104°	Pisces	16:10	22:11	04:17	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:11N · 75° high

SETS03:37

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:56

BEST TIME07:46N · 65° high

SETS13:37

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:41N · 78° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:33

BEST TIME11:48S · 83° high

SETS18:03

Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:24

BEST TIME07:12N · 61° high

SETS13:00

Reaches about 61° 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.