OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.67°N, 75.83°WAmerica/Toronto

Daylight+32.1°

13:27:00

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:03

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical19:08

Full Dark19:43

Nadir00:47

Dark Ends05:52

Nautical06:26

Civil Dawn07:01

Sunrise07:32

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-31.0°

DISTANCE380,098 km

Moonrise16:41

Moonset04:26

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	25.5°	192°	Libra	07:56	12:40	17:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	22.6°	268°	Leo	01:35	08:38	15:42	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-36.4°	36°	Pisces	17:25	23:33	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	19.1°	276°	Cancer	00:42	08:04	15:24	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	22.9°	170°	Libra	09:34	14:05	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-19.1°	335°	Taurus	19:29	03:08	10:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-34.7°	45°	Pisces	17:03	23:03	05:08	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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME23:03S · 48° high

SETS04:26

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME08:38S · 59° high

SETS15:42

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:25

BEST TIME23:33S · 46° high

SETS05:45

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:56

BEST TIME12:40S · 26° high

SETS17:25

Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:42

BEST TIME08:04S · 62° high

SETS15:24

Reaches about 62° 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.