OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.22°S, 151.67°EAustralia/Sydney

Civil Twilight-0.3° (0° to −6°)

06:05:24

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 9m of true darkness · 10h 57m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:08

Civil Dusk19:33

Nautical20:02

Full Dark20:33

Nadir00:37

Dark Ends04:41

Nautical05:11

Civil Dawn05:41

Sunrise06:06

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-20.2°

DISTANCE379,730 km

Moonrise17:11

Moonset04:30

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/Sydney

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	4.0°	109°	Libra	05:43	12:28	19:19	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	33.8°	43°	Leo	02:59	08:27	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-8.9°	266°	Pisces	17:23	23:26	05:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	35.3°	32°	Cancer	02:34	07:53	13:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.5°	122°	Libra	07:00	13:53	20:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	21.6°	313°	Taurus	21:46	02:57	08:07	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-14.4°	261°	Pisces	16:49	22:56	04:58	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

RISES17:11

BEST TIME22:24N · 59° high

SETS04:30

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:59

BEST TIME08:27N · 45° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:23

BEST TIME23:26N · 58° high

SETS05:24

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:43

BEST TIME12:28N · 78° high

SETS19:19

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:34

BEST TIME07:53N · 42° high

SETS13:12

Reaches about 42° 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.