OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.76°S, 142.19°EAustralia/Melbourne

Nautical Twilight-9.1° (−6° to −12°)

05:49:28

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 35m of true darkness · 10h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:54

Civil Dusk20:21

Nautical20:53

Full Dark21:27

Nadir01:15

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:36

Civil Dawn06:08

Sunrise06:35

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-8.4°

DISTANCE379,790 km

Moonrise17:55

Moonset05:08

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	-3.5°	116°	Libra	06:09	13:06	20:10	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	21.1°	52°	Leo	03:47	09:05	14:23	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	2.1°	273°	Pisces	18:06	00:03	06:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	23.4°	42°	Cancer	03:24	08:31	13:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-15.5°	133°	Libra	07:23	14:31	21:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	24.1°	325°	Taurus	22:39	03:34	08:30	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-2.4°	267°	Pisces	17:27	23:34	05:37	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

RISES17:55

BEST TIME23:03N · 52° high

SETS05:08

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:47

BEST TIME09:05N · 39° high

SETS14:23

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:06

BEST TIME00:03N · 52° high

SETS06:01

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:09

BEST TIME13:06N · 71° high

SETS20:10

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:24

BEST TIME08:31N · 35° high

SETS13:38

Reaches about 35° 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.