OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

14.18°S, 71.38°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+49.9°

14:14:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 2m of true darkness · 11h 29m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:45

Civil Dusk18:07

Nautical18:32

Full Dark18:58

Nadir23:29

Dark Ends04:00

Nautical04:26

Civil Dawn04:52

Sunrise05:14

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-19.6°

DISTANCE379,697 km

Moonrise15:36

Moonset03:11

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	48.6°	259°	Libra	05:03	11:23	17:42	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-15.8°	281°	Leo	01:30	07:20	13:07	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-29.6°	97°	Pisces	16:15	22:15	04:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.5°	283°	Cancer	01:01	06:46	12:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	68.2°	249°	Libra	06:23	12:47	19:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-80.8°	41°	Taurus	20:07	01:46	07:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-21.9°	96°	Pisces	15:44	21:45	03:51	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

RISES15:36

BEST TIME21:44N · 71° high

SETS03:11

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:30

BEST TIME07:20N · 61° high

SETS13:07

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:15

BEST TIME22:15N · 74° high

SETS04:19

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:03

BEST TIME11:23S · 86° high

SETS17:42

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

RISES01:01

BEST TIME06:46N · 58° high

SETS12:29

Reaches about 58° 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.