OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

56.07°N, 118.39°WAmerica/Edmonton

Daylight+19.8°

12:07:52

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:32

Civil Dusk19:11

Nautical19:54

Full Dark20:37

Nadir01:38

Dark Ends06:39

Nautical07:22

Civil Dawn08:05

Sunrise08:44

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-32.0°

DISTANCE379,945 km

Moonrise17:27

Moonset05:25

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	14.0°	160°	Libra	09:22	13:30	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	38.4°	233°	Leo	01:55	09:28	17:01	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-32.0°	355°	Pisces	18:11	00:27	06:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	37.4°	244°	Cancer	00:54	08:54	16:52	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	5.4°	141°	Libra	11:09	14:55	18:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	1.3°	308°	Taurus	19:31	03:58	12:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-33.9°	4°	Pisces	17:52	23:53	05:58	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

RISES17:27

BEST TIME23:58S · 38° high

SETS05:25

Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:55

BEST TIME09:28S · 48° high

SETS17:01

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:11

BEST TIME00:27S · 35° high

SETS06:38

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES09:22

BEST TIME13:30S · 16° high

SETS17:39

Only reaches about 16° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME08:54S · 52° high

SETS16:52

Reaches about 52° 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.