OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.14°S, 144.75°EAustralia/Melbourne

Nautical Twilight-8.0° (−6° to −12°)

05:46:09

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 39m of true darkness · 10h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:43

Civil Dusk20:10

Nautical20:42

Full Dark21:15

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends04:54

Nautical05:27

Civil Dawn05:59

Sunrise06:26

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-9.8°

DISTANCE379,802 km

Moonrise17:44

Moonset04:57

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

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	-2.5°	115°	Libra	06:00	12:56	19:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	22.6°	50°	Leo	03:36	08:54	14:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	0.9°	272°	Pisces	17:56	23:53	05:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.7°	41°	Cancer	03:13	08:21	13:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-14.9°	131°	Libra	07:14	14:21	21:32	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	23.8°	324°	Taurus	22:27	03:24	08:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-3.9°	266°	Pisces	17:16	23:23	05:26	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

RISES17:44

BEST TIME22:53N · 53° high

SETS04:57

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:36

BEST TIME08:54N · 40° high

SETS14:14

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:56

BEST TIME23:53N · 53° high

SETS05:51

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:00

BEST TIME12:56N · 72° high

SETS19:58

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:13

BEST TIME08:21N · 36° high

SETS13:29

Reaches about 36° 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.