OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.82°N, 63.62°WAmerica/Halifax

Daylight+33.6°

13:08:53

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:16

Civil Dusk18:46

Nautical19:20

Full Dark19:54

Nadir00:59

Dark Ends06:03

Nautical06:37

Civil Dawn07:11

Sunrise07:41

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-35.3°

DISTANCE380,391 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset04:35

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/Halifax

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	27.1°	184°	Libra	08:05	12:52	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	27.8°	263°	Leo	01:48	08:49	15:51	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-39.9°	27°	Pisces	17:36	23:44	05:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	24.2°	272°	Cancer	00:55	08:15	15:33	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.5°	163°	Libra	09:42	14:16	18:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.4°	328°	Taurus	19:43	03:19	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-38.7°	37°	Pisces	17:14	23:14	05:19	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 · High in the sky

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:12S · 49° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:48

BEST TIME08:49S · 60° high

SETS15:51

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:36

BEST TIME23:44S · 47° high

SETS05:56

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:05

BEST TIME12:52S · 27° high

SETS17:39

Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME08:15S · 63° high

SETS15:33

Reaches about 63° 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.