OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.10°N, 66.68°WAmerica/Toronto

Daylight+29.3°

12:18:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 40m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:21

Civil Dusk17:53

Nautical18:30

Full Dark19:07

Nadir00:11

Dark Ends05:15

Nautical05:51

Civil Dawn06:29

Sunrise07:01

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-32.4°

DISTANCE380,356 km

Moonrise16:02

Moonset03:47

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	22.9°	184°	Libra	07:30	12:04	16:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	27.7°	260°	Leo	00:50	08:02	15:13	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-36.3°	25°	Pisces	16:47	22:56	05:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.7°	269°	Cancer	23:55	07:27	14:58	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	18.3°	163°	Libra	09:10	13:28	17:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-13.4°	328°	Taurus	18:40	02:32	10:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-35.5°	35°	Pisces	16:26	22:27	04:31	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

RISES16:02

BEST TIME22:25S · 44° high

SETS03:47

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:50

BEST TIME08:02S · 55° high

SETS15:13

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:56S · 42° high

SETS05:10

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:30

BEST TIME12:04S · 23° high

SETS16:39

Reaches about 23° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:55

BEST TIME07:27S · 59° high

SETS14:58

Reaches about 59° 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.