OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

60.22°N, 24.78°EEurope/Helsinki

Deep Astronomical Night-18.3° (< −18°)

20:16:07

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 52m of true darkness · 14h 34m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:48

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:21

Full Dark20:09

Nadir01:05

Dark Ends06:01

Nautical06:50

Civil Dawn07:39

Sunrise08:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE22.6°

DISTANCE380,138 km

Moonrise16:51

Moonset05:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

79/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Helsinki

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-24.7°	278°	Libra	09:15	13:00	16:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-14.4°	350°	Leo	01:03	08:57	16:47	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.2°	121°	Pisces	17:38	23:52	06:05	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.3°	359°	Cancer	23:57	08:22	16:45	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-16.7°	258°	Libra	11:05	14:23	17:41	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	10.1°	65°	Taurus	18:29	03:23	12:20	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.6°	129°	Pisces	17:21	23:22	05:23	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

RISES16:51

BEST TIME23:08S · 32° high

SETS05:49

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES01:03

BEST TIME08:57S · 44° high

SETS16:47

Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:38

BEST TIME23:52S · 31° high

SETS06:05

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES09:15

BEST TIME13:00S · 12° high

SETS16:46

Only reaches about 12° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:57

BEST TIME08:22S · 48° high

SETS16:45

Reaches about 48° 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.