Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+53.3°
13:51:12
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 12h 1m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:38
Civil Dusk17:59
Nautical18:24
Full Dark18:48
Nadir23:39
Dark Ends04:29
Nautical04:53
Civil Dawn05:18
Sunrise05:39
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-27.2°
DISTANCE379,783 km
Moonrise15:42
Moonset03:19
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 | 48.8° | 236° | Libra | 05:37 | 11:32 | 17:27 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -3.5° | 285° | Leo | 01:20 | 07:30 | 13:36 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -38.1° | 84° | Pisces | 16:23 | 22:24 | 04:30 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -11.2° | 289° | Cancer | 00:45 | 06:55 | 13:03 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 61.1° | 207° | Libra | 07:02 | 12:56 | 18:51 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -64.1° | 356° | Taurus | 19:47 | 02:00 | 08:08 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -30.8° | 88° | Pisces | 15:54 | 21:55 | 04:00 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:42
BEST TIME21:54S · 90° high
SETS03:19
Reaches about 90° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:20
BEST TIME07:30N · 80° high
SETS13:36
Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:23
BEST TIME22:24S · 87° high
SETS04:30
Reaches about 87° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:37
BEST TIME11:32S · 67° high
SETS17:27
Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:45
BEST TIME06:55N · 77° high
SETS13:03
Reaches about 77° 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.
