OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.72°S, 145.38°EAustralia/Melbourne

Civil Twilight-1.3° (0° to −6°)

06:15:58

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 29m of true darkness · 10h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:43

Civil Dusk20:10

Nautical20:43

Full Dark21:17

Nadir01:02

Dark Ends04:47

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%

ALTITUDE-16.0°

DISTANCE379,691 km

Moonrise17:42

Moonset04:54

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

57/100

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/Melbourne

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	3.6°	110°	Libra	05:54	12:53	19:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	26.2°	43°	Leo	03:36	08:52	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-5.4°	267°	Pisces	17:49	23:51	05:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	27.4°	33°	Cancer	03:13	08:18	13:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.8°	126°	Libra	07:08	14:19	21:33	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	18.5°	317°	Taurus	22:28	03:22	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-10.2°	261°	Pisces	17:14	23:21	05:24	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

RISES17:42

BEST TIME22:50N · 51° high

SETS04:54

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

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:36

BEST TIME08:52N · 38° high

SETS14:08

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:49

BEST TIME23:51N · 51° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:54

BEST TIME12:53N · 70° high

SETS19:59

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

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:13

BEST TIME08:18N · 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.