OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

62.45°N, 114.37°WAmerica/Edmonton

Daylight+15.7°

12:47:51

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 49m of true darkness · 14h 53m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:56

Civil Dusk18:43

Nautical19:35

Full Dark20:27

Nadir01:22

Dark Ends06:16

Nautical07:08

Civil Dawn08:01

Sunrise08:48

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-23.8°

DISTANCE379,796 km

Moonrise17:05

Moonset05:08

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/Edmonton

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	9.5°	174°	Libra	09:43	13:14	16:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Visible Low	-2.0	29.0°	244°	Leo	01:09	09:12	17:14	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-25.2°	11°	Pisces	17:52	00:07	06:25	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Visible Low	1.0	28.4°	254°	Cancer	23:58	08:38	17:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	3.9°	154°	Libra	11:40	14:39	17:37	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	0.6°	320°	Taurus	18:22	03:42	12:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-26.2°	19°	Pisces	17:36	23:37	05:42	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

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:42S · 32° high

SETS05:08

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES01:09

BEST TIME09:12S · 42° high

SETS17:14

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:52

BEST TIME00:07S · 29° high

SETS06:25

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES09:43

BEST TIME13:14S · 10° high

SETS16:46

Only reaches about 10° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:58

BEST TIME08:38S · 46° high

SETS17:16

Reaches about 46° 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.