Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-1.9° (0° to −6°)
18:13:36
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 14h 16m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:00
Civil Dusk18:39
Nautical19:24
Full Dark20:08
Nadir01:07
Dark Ends06:06
Nautical06:51
Civil Dawn07:35
Sunrise08:15
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE9.9°
DISTANCE380,373 km
Moonrise16:54
Moonset05:51
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX16% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
51/100
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♀ | Below Horizon | -4.3 | -8.3° | 250° | Libra | 08:59 | 13:01 | 17:05 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -10.3° | 320° | Leo | 01:18 | 08:59 | 16:36 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 3.9° | 93° | Pisces | 17:42 | 23:53 | 06:05 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -9.7° | 329° | Cancer | 00:18 | 08:24 | 16:28 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -0.8° | 232° | Libra | 10:45 | 14:25 | 18:05 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -3.9° | 39° | Taurus | 18:55 | 03:25 | 11:58 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 6.4° | 100° | Pisces | 17:23 | 23:24 | 05:24 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:54
BEST TIME23:12S · 35° high
SETS05:51
Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:18
BEST TIME08:59S · 47° high
SETS16:36
Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:42
BEST TIME23:53S · 34° high
SETS06:05
Reaches about 34° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:59
BEST TIME13:01S · 15° high
SETS17:05
Only reaches about 15° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:18
BEST TIME08:24S · 51° high
SETS16:28
Reaches about 51° 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.
