Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+12.3°
17:52:06
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 21m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:09
Civil Dusk19:38
Nautical20:12
Full Dark20:45
Nadir01:49
Dark Ends06:54
Nautical07:27
Civil Dawn08:00
Sunrise08:30
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE1.7°
DISTANCE380,454 km
Moonrise17:39
Moonset06:24
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX3% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
41/100
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♀ | Rising / Setting | -4.3 | 6.4° | 238° | Libra | 08:53 | 13:43 | 18:34 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -11.7° | 304° | Leo | 02:39 | 09:41 | 16:39 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -6.6° | 81° | Pisces | 18:28 | 00:36 | 06:47 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -13.8° | 313° | Cancer | 01:50 | 09:06 | 16:20 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 15.5° | 220° | Libra | 10:29 | 15:07 | 19:46 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -20.9° | 26° | Taurus | 20:40 | 04:07 | 11:38 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -2.4° | 88° | Pisces | 18:05 | 00:06 | 06:11 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:39
BEST TIME23:55S · 49° high
SETS06:24
Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:39
BEST TIME09:41S · 61° high
SETS16:39
Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:28
BEST TIME00:36S · 48° high
SETS06:47
Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:53
BEST TIME13:43S · 29° high
SETS18:34
Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:50
BEST TIME09:06S · 65° high
SETS16:20
Reaches about 65° 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.
