OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.10°S, 138.80°EAustralia/Adelaide

Deep Astronomical Night-37.7° (< −18°)

02:35:40

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 44m of true darkness · 10h 46m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:36

Civil Dusk20:02

Nautical20:33

Full Dark21:06

Nadir00:58

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:23

Civil Dawn05:55

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

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE26.0°

DISTANCE380,403 km

Moonrise16:33

Moonset04:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX40% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

78/100

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/Adelaide

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-31.1°	151°	Libra	05:55	12:49	19:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-10.4°	80°	Leo	03:28	08:48	14:09	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	36.3°	304°	Pisces	17:49	23:47	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-5.6°	72°	Cancer	03:04	08:14	13:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.4°	175°	Libra	07:10	14:15	21:23	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	33.0°	12°	Taurus	22:18	03:18	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	32.3°	296°	Pisces	17:14	23:17	05:20	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

RISES16:33

BEST TIME22:47N · 54° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:28

BEST TIME08:48N · 41° high

SETS14:09

Reaches about 41° 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 TIME23:47N · 54° high

SETS05:45

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:55

BEST TIME12:49N · 73° high

SETS19:50

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:04

BEST TIME08:14N · 37° high

SETS13:25

Reaches about 37° 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.