OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.07°N, 108.00°WAmerica/Toronto

Daylight+23.0°

13:19:24

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset20:00

Civil Dusk20:35

Nautical21:14

Full Dark21:53

Nadir02:56

Dark Ends07:59

Nautical08:38

Civil Dawn09:18

Sunrise09:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-36.2°

DISTANCE380,126 km

Moonrise18:48

Moonset06:41

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to America/Toronto

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	17.3°	158°	Libra	10:24	14:48	19:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	41.6°	233°	Leo	03:26	10:46	18:06	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-35.9°	352°	Pisces	19:31	01:45	07:55	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	40.1°	245°	Cancer	02:30	10:12	17:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	7.8°	139°	Libra	12:07	16:13	20:20	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.1°	307°	Taurus	21:11	05:16	13:18	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-37.9°	2°	Pisces	19:11	01:12	07:16	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

RISES18:48

BEST TIME01:16S · 42° high

SETS06:41

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:26

BEST TIME10:46S · 52° high

SETS18:06

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES19:31

BEST TIME01:45S · 39° high

SETS07:55

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES10:24

BEST TIME14:48S · 20° high

SETS19:14

Only reaches about 20° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:30

BEST TIME10:12S · 56° high

SETS17:54

Reaches about 56° 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.