OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

34.13°S, 115.67°EAustralia/Sydney

Deep Astronomical Night-32.0° (< −18°)

05:29:13

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 49m of true darkness · 10h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset21:37

Civil Dusk22:03

Nautical22:34

Full Dark23:06

Nadir03:01

Dark Ends06:56

Nautical07:28

Civil Dawn07:59

Sunrise08:25

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE16.8°

DISTANCE379,865 km

Moonrise18:40

Moonset06:56

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX27% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

82/100

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/Sydney

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-25.7°	138°	Libra	08:00	14:51	21:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	0.0°	73°	Leo	05:28	10:51	16:13	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.4°	293°	Pisces	19:51	01:49	07:47	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	4.2°	65°	Cancer	05:05	10:17	15:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-32.1°	161°	Libra	09:15	16:17	23:23	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	34.9°	358°	Taurus	00:18	05:20	10:22	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	22.7°	286°	Pisces	19:17	01:19	07:22	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

RISES18:40

BEST TIME00:53N · 54° high

SETS06:56

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES05:28

BEST TIME10:51N · 42° high

SETS16:13

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

RISES19:51

BEST TIME01:49N · 55° high

SETS07:47

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

RISES08:00

BEST TIME14:51N · 74° high

SETS21:50

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

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES05:05

BEST TIME10:17N · 38° high

SETS15:29

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.