OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.41°S, 144.19°EAustralia/Melbourne

Deep Astronomical Night-25.3° (< −18°)

04:00:39

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 25m of true darkness · 10h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:48

Civil Dusk20:16

Nautical20:49

Full Dark21:24

Nadir01:07

Dark Ends04:49

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:57

Sunrise06:25

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE10.5°

DISTANCE380,196 km

Moonrise16:40

Moonset04:59

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX17% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

86/100

Exceptional Stargazing

Pristine dark skies with clear transparency. Ideal for astrophotography & faint deep sky targets.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Australia/Melbourne

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-19.1°	134°	Libra	05:57	12:58	20:05	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	3.1°	69°	Leo	03:41	08:57	14:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	21.1°	290°	Pisces	17:58	23:55	05:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	6.7°	61°	Cancer	03:19	08:23	13:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-26.1°	155°	Libra	07:11	14:23	21:40	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	30.1°	351°	Taurus	22:35	03:27	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	16.7°	283°	Pisces	17:22	23:26	05:29	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

RISES16:40

BEST TIME22:55N · 51° high

SETS04:59

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:41

BEST TIME08:57N · 37° high

SETS14:12

Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:58

BEST TIME23:55N · 50° high

SETS05:53

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:57

BEST TIME12:58N · 70° high

SETS20:05

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:19

BEST TIME08:23N · 34° high

SETS13:26

Reaches about 34° 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.