OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.11°N, 3.71°EEurope/Brussels

Astronomical Twilight-12.8° (−12° to −18°)

19:57:33

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 47m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:36

Civil Dusk19:10

Nautical19:48

Full Dark20:26

Nadir01:29

Dark Ends06:32

Nautical07:10

Civil Dawn07:49

Sunrise08:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE23.2°

DISTANCE379,983 km

Moonrise17:18

Moonset06:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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 Europe/Brussels

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-18.9°	265°	Libra	08:56	13:23	17:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-21.6°	338°	Leo	02:00	09:21	16:38	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.7°	109°	Pisces	18:06	00:16	06:25	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-19.7°	348°	Cancer	01:06	08:46	16:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-8.2°	247°	Libra	10:37	14:47	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	0.8°	56°	Taurus	19:50	03:47	11:48	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.5°	117°	Pisces	17:45	23:46	05:47	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 · Good height

RISES17:18

BEST TIME23:34S · 41° high

SETS06:09

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME09:21S · 53° high

SETS16:38

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:06

BEST TIME00:16S · 40° high

SETS06:25

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:56

BEST TIME13:23S · 21° high

SETS17:51

Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:06

BEST TIME08:46S · 57° high

SETS16:24

Reaches about 57° 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.