Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-4.1° (0° to −6°)
19:25:24
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 39m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:00
Civil Dusk19:33
Nautical20:10
Full Dark20:46
Nadir01:50
Dark Ends06:54
Nautical07:30
Civil Dawn08:07
Sunrise08:39
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE16.3°
DISTANCE380,104 km
Moonrise17:39
Moonset06:29
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX26% · Moderate Lunar Glow
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
48/100
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 | -10.1° | 255° | Libra | 09:10 | 13:44 | 18:19 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -19.5° | 325° | Leo | 02:27 | 09:41 | 16:52 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 9.0° | 98° | Pisces | 18:27 | 00:36 | 06:45 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -19.0° | 335° | Cancer | 01:35 | 09:06 | 16:37 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 0.3° | 237° | Libra | 10:49 | 15:08 | 19:27 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -7.0° | 45° | Taurus | 20:20 | 04:07 | 11:59 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 12.4° | 105° | Pisces | 18:06 | 00:06 | 06:07 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:39
BEST TIME23:56S · 43° high
SETS06:29
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:27
BEST TIME09:41S · 56° high
SETS16:52
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES18:27
BEST TIME00:36S · 43° high
SETS06:45
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES09:10
BEST TIME13:44S · 23° high
SETS18:19
Reaches about 23° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:35
BEST TIME09:06S · 59° high
SETS16:37
Reaches about 59° 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.
