OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.22°S, 150.13°EAustralia/Sydney

Civil Twilight-3.0° (0° to −6°)

05:50:40

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 38m of true darkness · 10h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:22

Civil Dusk19:49

Nautical20:21

Full Dark20:54

Nadir00:43

Dark Ends04:32

Nautical05:06

Civil Dawn05:38

Sunrise06:04

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-15.0°

DISTANCE379,785 km

Moonrise17:21

Moonset04:35

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	2.0°	111°	Libra	05:38	12:34	19:37	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	26.4°	45°	Leo	03:14	08:33	13:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-4.2°	268°	Pisces	17:30	23:32	05:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	27.9°	35°	Cancer	02:51	07:59	13:07	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-10.7°	127°	Libra	06:52	14:00	21:10	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	20.5°	318°	Taurus	22:06	03:03	08:00	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-9.1°	262°	Pisces	16:55	23:02	05:05	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

RISES17:21

BEST TIME22:30N · 53° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:14

BEST TIME08:33N · 39° high

SETS13:52

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

RISES17:30

BEST TIME23:32N · 52° high

SETS05:29

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

RISES05:38

BEST TIME12:34N · 72° high

SETS19:37

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:51

BEST TIME07:59N · 36° high

SETS13:07

Reaches about 36° 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.