OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.13°S, 150.74°EAustralia/Sydney

Civil Twilight-4.5° (0° to −6°)

05:43:40

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 50m of true darkness · 10h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:17

Civil Dusk19:43

Nautical20:14

Full Dark20:46

Nadir00:41

Dark Ends04:36

Nautical05:08

Civil Dawn05:39

Sunrise06:05

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-14.4°

DISTANCE379,811 km

Moonrise17:17

Moonset04:33

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	0.6°	112°	Libra	05:40	12:32	19:30	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	27.2°	47°	Leo	03:09	08:31	13:53	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-3.3°	269°	Pisces	17:27	23:29	05:27	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	29.1°	37°	Cancer	02:45	07:57	13:09	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-12.7°	127°	Libra	06:55	13:57	21:03	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	22.6°	319°	Taurus	21:58	03:00	08:02	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-8.4°	263°	Pisces	16:53	22:59	05:02	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

RISES17:17

BEST TIME22:28N · 55° high

SETS04:33

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:09

BEST TIME08:31N · 42° high

SETS13:53

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:29N · 55° high

SETS05:27

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:40

BEST TIME12:32N · 74° high

SETS19:30

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:45

BEST TIME07:57N · 38° high

SETS13:09

Reaches about 38° 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.