OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.27°S, 138.55°EAustralia/Adelaide

Deep Astronomical Night-37.1° (< −18°)

02:40:43

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 44m of true darkness · 10h 45m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:37

Civil Dusk20:03

Nautical20:35

Full Dark21:08

Nadir00:59

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:24

Civil Dawn05:55

Sunrise06:22

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE25.2°

DISTANCE380,384 km

Moonrise16:34

Moonset04:53

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX39% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

78/100

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/Adelaide

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-30.5°	150°	Libra	05:56	12:50	19:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-9.6°	80°	Leo	03:29	08:49	14:10	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.5°	303°	Pisces	17:50	23:48	05:46	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-4.8°	72°	Cancer	03:06	08:15	13:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-33.1°	174°	Libra	07:11	14:16	21:24	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	33.0°	11°	Taurus	22:20	03:19	08:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.4°	295°	Pisces	17:15	23:18	05:21	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

RISES16:34

BEST TIME22:48N · 54° high

SETS04:53

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:29

BEST TIME08:49N · 40° high

SETS14:10

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:50

BEST TIME23:48N · 53° high

SETS05:46

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:56

BEST TIME12:50N · 73° high

SETS19:51

Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES03:06

BEST TIME08:15N · 37° high

SETS13:25

Reaches about 37° 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.