OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.33°S, 145.17°EAustralia/Melbourne

Deep Astronomical Night-19.5° (< −18°)

04:34:00

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 26m of true darkness · 10h 37m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:44

Civil Dusk20:12

Nautical20:45

Full Dark21:20

Nadir01:03

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:21

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE3.5°

DISTANCE380,072 km

Moonrise16:36

Moonset04:55

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX6% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

90/100

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	-13.5°	127°	Libra	05:53	12:54	20:01	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	9.7°	63°	Leo	03:37	08:53	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	14.2°	283°	Pisces	17:54	23:51	05:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	12.9°	54°	Cancer	03:15	08:19	13:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-22.6°	146°	Libra	07:07	14:19	21:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	28.4°	341°	Taurus	22:31	03:23	08:14	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	9.6°	277°	Pisces	17:19	23:22	05:25	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

RISES16:36

BEST TIME22:51N · 51° high

SETS04:55

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:37

BEST TIME08:53N · 37° high

SETS14:08

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

RISES17:54

BEST TIME23:51N · 50° high

SETS05:49

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

RISES05:53

BEST TIME12:54N · 70° high

SETS20:01

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

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:15

BEST TIME08:19N · 34° high

SETS13:23

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.