OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

37.89°S, 145.40°EAustralia/Melbourne

Deep Astronomical Night-32.2° (< −18°)

03:07:17

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 28m of true darkness · 10h 38m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:43

Civil Dusk20:10

Nautical20:43

Full Dark21:18

Nadir01:02

Dark Ends04:46

Nautical05:21

Civil Dawn05:54

Sunrise06:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE19.7°

DISTANCE380,397 km

Moonrise16:35

Moonset04:54

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX31% · 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/Melbourne

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-25.7°	145°	Libra	05:53	12:53	19:59	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-5.5°	76°	Leo	03:36	08:52	14:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	30.0°	299°	Pisces	17:53	23:51	05:48	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-1.2°	69°	Cancer	03:14	08:18	13:23	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-29.7°	167°	Libra	07:07	14:18	21:34	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	31.1°	4°	Taurus	22:29	03:22	08:15	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.0°	292°	Pisces	17:18	23:21	05:24	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

RISES16:35

BEST TIME22:50N · 51° high

SETS04:54

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:36

BEST TIME08:52N · 38° high

SETS14:08

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

RISES17:53

BEST TIME23:51N · 51° high

SETS05:48

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

RISES05:53

BEST TIME12:53N · 70° high

SETS19:59

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

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:14

BEST TIME08:18N · 34° high

SETS13:23

Reaches about 34° 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.