OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

12.39°S, 130.88°EAustralia/Darwin

Deep Astronomical Night-44.2° (< −18°)

03:06:41

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 7m of true darkness · 11h 32m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:44

Civil Dusk19:06

Nautical19:31

Full Dark19:57

Nadir00:30

Dark Ends05:04

Nautical05:29

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE18.8°

DISTANCE380,061 km

Moonrise16:08

Moonset04:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

81/100

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/Darwin

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-39.3°	126°	Libra	06:04	12:21	18:44	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	7.8°	73°	Leo	02:31	08:20	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.7°	280°	Pisces	17:18	23:18	05:18	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	14.6°	68°	Cancer	02:00	07:46	13:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-51.3°	150°	Libra	07:26	13:46	20:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	56.4°	353°	Taurus	21:07	02:50	08:32	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	24.9°	275°	Pisces	16:47	22:49	04:50	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

RISES16:08

BEST TIME22:20N · 77° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:31

BEST TIME08:20N · 63° high

SETS14:08

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:18

BEST TIME23:18N · 76° high

SETS05:18

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES06:04

BEST TIME12:21S · 85° high

SETS18:44

Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME07:46N · 60° high

SETS13:32

Reaches about 60° 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.