Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+66.0°
13:35:55
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 36m of true darkness · 11h 12m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:30
Civil Dusk18:54
Nautical19:21
Full Dark19:49
Nadir00:07
Dark Ends04:24
Nautical04:52
Civil Dawn05:19
Sunrise05:43
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-34.7°
DISTANCE380,289 km
Moonrise16:12
Moonset03:46
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Optimal Visibility | -4.3 | 67.1° | 278° | Libra | 05:27 | 12:00 | 18:33 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -0.1° | 285° | Leo | 02:21 | 07:58 | 13:35 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -45.1° | 113° | Pisces | 16:54 | 22:53 | 04:56 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -9.1° | 285° | Cancer | 01:53 | 07:23 | 12:54 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 86.7° | 309° | Libra | 06:45 | 13:25 | 20:04 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -78.0° | 263° | Taurus | 21:00 | 02:28 | 07:52 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -37.7° | 110° | Pisces | 16:21 | 22:23 | 04:29 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:12
BEST TIME22:19N · 63° high
SETS03:46
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:21
BEST TIME07:58N · 53° high
SETS13:35
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:54
BEST TIME22:53N · 66° high
SETS04:56
Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:27
BEST TIME12:00N · 85° high
SETS18:33
Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:53
BEST TIME07:23N · 49° high
SETS12:54
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
