OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.59°S, 140.35°EAustralia/Adelaide

Deep Astronomical Night-21.9° (< −18°)

04:11:00

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 30m of true darkness · 10h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:33

Civil Dusk20:00

Nautical20:33

Full Dark21:07

Nadir00:52

Dark Ends04:37

Nautical05:12

Civil Dawn05:44

Sunrise06:12

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE6.0°

DISTANCE380,045 km

Moonrise16:27

Moonset04:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX10% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

88/100

Exceptional Stargazing

Pristine dark skies with clear transparency. Ideal for astrophotography & faint deep sky targets.

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	-15.9°	129°	Libra	05:44	12:43	19:49	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	7.9°	65°	Leo	03:25	08:42	13:59	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.7°	285°	Pisces	17:43	23:41	05:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	11.3°	57°	Cancer	03:03	08:08	13:14	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-24.5°	149°	Libra	06:58	14:09	21:23	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	29.8°	344°	Taurus	22:18	03:12	08:06	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	12.1°	279°	Pisces	17:08	23:11	05:14	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

RISES16:27

BEST TIME22:41N · 51° high

SETS04:45

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:25

BEST TIME08:42N · 38° high

SETS13:59

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:41N · 51° high

SETS05:38

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:44

BEST TIME12:43N · 70° high

SETS19:49

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:03

BEST TIME08:08N · 35° high

SETS13:14

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.