OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.47°N, 80.52°WAmerica/Toronto

Daylight+33.5°

14:02:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:55

Nautical19:28

Full Dark20:01

Nadir01:06

Dark Ends06:11

Nautical06:44

Civil Dawn07:18

Sunrise07:47

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-30.1°

DISTANCE379,965 km

Moonrise17:01

Moonset04:46

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	26.9°	197°	Libra	08:09	12:59	17:50	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	19.6°	272°	Leo	01:55	08:57	15:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-36.3°	42°	Pisces	17:44	23:52	06:03	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	15.8°	280°	Cancer	01:07	08:22	15:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	25.4°	174°	Libra	09:46	14:24	19:01	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-22.3°	339°	Taurus	19:55	03:27	10:54	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-33.9°	51°	Pisces	17:21	23:22	05:27	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

RISES17:01

BEST TIME23:22S · 50° high

SETS04:46

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:55

BEST TIME08:57S · 61° high

SETS15:55

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:52S · 48° high

SETS06:03

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:09

BEST TIME12:59S · 29° high

SETS17:50

Reaches about 29° 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 TIME08:22S · 65° high

SETS15:37

Reaches about 65° 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.