OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

5.42°S, 80.78°WAmerica/Lima

Daylight+82.7°

11:51:40

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

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:36

Nautical19:01

Full Dark19:26

Nadir00:07

Dark Ends04:48

Nautical05:13

Civil Dawn05:38

Sunrise05:59

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-63.2°

DISTANCE380,230 km

Moonrise16:13

Moonset03:49

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	77.2°	170°	Libra	05:52	12:00	18:08	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	28.8°	290°	Leo	02:02	07:58	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-75.2°	105°	Pisces	16:52	22:53	04:58	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	20.0°	291°	Cancer	01:29	07:23	13:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Optimal Visibility	0.4	62.5°	127°	Libra	07:15	13:25	19:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-49.0°	296°	Taurus	20:31	02:28	08:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-67.5°	104°	Pisces	16:22	22:23	04:28	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

RISES16:13

BEST TIME22:23N · 80° high

SETS03:49

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:02

BEST TIME07:58N · 70° high

SETS13:54

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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME22:53N · 83° high

SETS04:58

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

RISES05:52

BEST TIME12:00S · 77° high

SETS18:08

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

RISES01:29

BEST TIME07:23N · 67° high

SETS13:18

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.