Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+51.7°
14:59:09
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM6h 29m of true darkness · 10h 13m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset20:28
Civil Dusk20:59
Nautical21:38
Full Dark22:20
Nadir01:34
Dark Ends04:49
Nautical05:31
Civil Dawn06:09
Sunrise06:40
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-28.0°
DISTANCE379,977 km
Moonrise17:51
Moonset05:17
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Optimal Visibility | -4.3 | 56.7° | 318° | Libra | 06:09 | 13:28 | 20:46 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -5.1° | 285° | Leo | 04:23 | 09:26 | 14:28 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -33.8° | 130° | Pisces | 18:24 | 00:20 | 06:21 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -13.5° | 281° | Cancer | 04:05 | 08:51 | 13:38 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 65.5° | 356° | Libra | 07:18 | 14:52 | 22:26 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -62.9° | 209° | Taurus | 23:20 | 03:56 | 08:27 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -28.1° | 124° | Pisces | 17:47 | 23:51 | 05:59 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:51
BEST TIME23:50N · 40° high
SETS05:17
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES04:23
BEST TIME09:26N · 30° high
SETS14:28
Reaches about 30° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES18:24
BEST TIME00:20N · 43° high
SETS06:21
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:09
BEST TIME13:28N · 63° high
SETS20:46
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES04:05
BEST TIME08:51N · 27° high
SETS13:38
Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
