Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+7.9°
17:58:58
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 40m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:56
Civil Dusk19:28
Nautical20:05
Full Dark20:42
Nadir01:46
Dark Ends06:49
Nautical07:26
Civil Dawn08:03
Sunrise08:36
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE3.3°
DISTANCE380,428 km
Moonrise17:34
Moonset06:25
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX5% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
40/100
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 | 1.9° | 240° | Libra | 09:06 | 13:40 | 18:14 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -9.8° | 307° | Leo | 02:22 | 09:37 | 16:49 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -3.9° | 83° | Pisces | 18:23 | 00:32 | 06:45 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -11.0° | 316° | Cancer | 01:29 | 09:02 | 16:34 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 9.8° | 221° | Libra | 10:46 | 15:04 | 19:22 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -14.8° | 27° | Taurus | 20:15 | 04:03 | 11:56 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -0.4° | 89° | Pisces | 18:02 | 00:02 | 06:07 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:34
BEST TIME23:51S · 43° high
SETS06:25
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:22
BEST TIME09:37S · 55° high
SETS16:49
Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES18:23
BEST TIME00:32S · 42° high
SETS06:45
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES09:06
BEST TIME13:40S · 23° high
SETS18:14
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
RISES01:29
BEST TIME09:02S · 59° high
SETS16:34
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.
