OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

49.18°N, 99.66°WAmerica/Winnipeg

Daylight+29.1°

13:03:25

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 41m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:32

Civil Dusk19:05

Nautical19:42

Full Dark20:19

Nadir01:23

Dark Ends06:27

Nautical07:04

Civil Dawn07:41

Sunrise08:13

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-34.7°

DISTANCE379,961 km

Moonrise17:16

Moonset05:06

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/Winnipeg

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	22.8°	177°	Libra	08:41	13:15	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	31.9°	254°	Leo	02:01	09:13	16:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-37.7°	17°	Pisces	17:59	00:08	06:21	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	29.0°	264°	Cancer	01:07	08:39	16:10	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	16.7°	156°	Libra	10:22	14:40	18:58	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.9°	323°	Taurus	19:51	03:43	11:31	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-37.7°	27°	Pisces	17:38	23:38	05:43	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

RISES17:16

BEST TIME23:41S · 45° high

SETS05:06

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:01

BEST TIME09:13S · 55° high

SETS16:25

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

RISES17:59

BEST TIME00:08S · 42° high

SETS06:21

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

RISES08:41

BEST TIME13:15S · 23° high

SETS17:50

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

RISES01:07

BEST TIME08:39S · 59° high

SETS16:10

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.