OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.05°N, 114.09°WAmerica/Edmonton

Daylight+26.2°

12:24:27

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 48m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:26

Civil Dusk19:00

Nautical19:39

Full Dark20:17

Nadir01:21

Dark Ends06:24

Nautical07:02

Civil Dawn07:41

Sunrise08:15

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-35.5°

DISTANCE379,883 km

Moonrise17:13

Moonset05:07

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/Edmonton

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	20.2°	168°	Libra	08:45	13:13	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	36.7°	245°	Leo	01:54	09:11	16:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-37.0°	5°	Pisces	17:56	00:05	06:19	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	34.4°	255°	Cancer	00:58	08:36	16:14	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	12.3°	148°	Libra	10:27	14:37	18:48	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-5.6°	315°	Taurus	19:40	03:41	11:37	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-38.0°	15°	Pisces	17:35	23:36	05:40	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

RISES17:13

BEST TIME23:41S · 43° high

SETS05:07

Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:54

BEST TIME09:11S · 53° high

SETS16:28

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

RISES17:56

BEST TIME00:05S · 40° high

SETS06:19

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

RISES08:45

BEST TIME13:13S · 21° high

SETS17:41

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

RISES00:58

BEST TIME08:36S · 57° high

SETS16:14

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.