OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

19.35°S, 146.84°EAustralia/Brisbane

Deep Astronomical Night-42.8° (< −18°)

02:20:05

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 48m of true darkness · 11h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:39

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:32

Nadir23:56

Dark Ends04:21

Nautical04:47

Civil Dawn05:14

Sunrise05:36

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE20.4°

DISTANCE380,349 km

Moonrise15:32

Moonset03:52

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX32% · 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/Brisbane

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-37.2°	133°	Libra	05:20	11:47	18:21	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	3.0°	74°	Leo	02:05	07:46	13:27	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.3°	285°	Pisces	16:45	22:45	04:44	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	9.1°	67°	Cancer	01:36	07:12	12:48	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-46.4°	158°	Libra	06:40	13:13	19:49	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	49.7°	359°	Taurus	20:45	02:16	07:47	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.1°	280°	Pisces	16:13	22:15	04:17	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

RISES15:32

BEST TIME21:44N · 70° high

SETS03:52

Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:05

BEST TIME07:46N · 56° high

SETS13:27

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:45

BEST TIME22:45N · 69° high

SETS04:44

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:20

BEST TIME11:47N · 89° high

SETS18:21

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:36

BEST TIME07:12N · 53° high

SETS12:48

Reaches about 53° 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.