OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.42°S, 149.58°EAustralia/Sydney

Daylight+0.1°

06:12:21

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 53m of true darkness · 10h 50m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:20

Civil Dusk19:46

Nautical20:17

Full Dark20:49

Nadir00:45

Dark Ends04:42

Nautical05:14

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:10

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-19.4°

DISTANCE379,704 km

Moonrise17:22

Moonset04:38

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 Australia/Sydney

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	4.7°	109°	Libra	05:46	12:36	19:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	31.2°	42°	Leo	03:12	08:35	13:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-8.4°	266°	Pisces	17:32	23:34	05:32	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	32.4°	31°	Cancer	02:48	08:01	13:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.0°	123°	Libra	07:01	14:02	21:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.7°	314°	Taurus	22:01	03:05	08:09	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-13.5°	260°	Pisces	16:57	23:04	05:07	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

RISES17:22

BEST TIME22:33N · 56° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:12

BEST TIME08:35N · 42° high

SETS13:58

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:32

BEST TIME23:34N · 55° high

SETS05:32

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:46

BEST TIME12:36N · 74° high

SETS19:33

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:48

BEST TIME08:01N · 39° high

SETS13:15

Reaches about 39° 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.