Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-1.0° (0° to −6°)
19:04:19
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 29m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:59
Civil Dusk19:30
Nautical20:04
Full Dark20:39
Nadir01:43
Dark Ends06:48
Nautical07:22
Civil Dawn07:57
Sunrise08:28
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE14.7°
DISTANCE380,183 km
Moonrise17:33
Moonset06:20
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX24% · Minimal Lunar Glare
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 | -6.9° | 252° | Libra | 08:55 | 13:37 | 18:21 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -20.3° | 321° | Leo | 02:27 | 09:35 | 16:39 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.9° | 95° | Pisces | 18:22 | 00:30 | 06:38 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -20.5° | 331° | Cancer | 01:37 | 09:00 | 16:21 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 3.6° | 235° | Libra | 10:32 | 15:01 | 19:31 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -10.8° | 43° | Taurus | 20:25 | 04:01 | 11:41 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 10.7° | 102° | Pisces | 17:59 | 00:00 | 06:01 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:33
BEST TIME23:49S · 46° high
SETS06:20
Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:27
BEST TIME09:35S · 58° high
SETS16:39
Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES18:22
BEST TIME00:30S · 45° high
SETS06:38
Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:55
BEST TIME13:37S · 26° high
SETS18:21
Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:37
BEST TIME09:00S · 62° high
SETS16:21
Reaches about 62° 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.
