OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.73°N, 87.17°WAmerica/Toronto

Daylight+27.6°

12:38:11

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 43m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:41

Civil Dusk19:14

Nautical19:52

Full Dark20:29

Nadir01:33

Dark Ends06:37

Nautical07:14

Civil Dawn07:51

Sunrise08:24

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-36.9°

DISTANCE380,281 km

Moonrise17:25

Moonset05:13

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	21.5°	168°	Libra	08:53	13:25	17:58	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	37.1°	246°	Leo	02:10	09:23	16:37	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-38.3°	6°	Pisces	18:09	00:18	06:31	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	34.6°	256°	Cancer	01:15	08:49	16:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	13.5°	148°	Libra	10:34	14:50	19:06	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.7°	315°	Taurus	19:59	03:53	11:44	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-39.3°	15°	Pisces	17:48	23:48	05:53	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

RISES17:25

BEST TIME23:50S · 44° high

SETS05:13

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:10

BEST TIME09:23S · 55° high

SETS16:37

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

RISES18:09

BEST TIME00:18S · 42° high

SETS06:31

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

RISES08:53

BEST TIME13:25S · 22° high

SETS17:58

Reaches about 22° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:15

BEST TIME08:49S · 58° high

SETS16:22

Reaches about 58° 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.