Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-0.4° (0° to −6°)
18:37:42
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 35m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:36
Civil Dusk19:08
Nautical19:44
Full Dark20:20
Nadir01:24
Dark Ends06:28
Nautical07:03
Civil Dawn07:40
Sunrise08:11
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE13.2°
DISTANCE380,282 km
Moonrise17:13
Moonset06:00
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX21% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
49/100
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 | -6.3° | 251° | Libra | 08:40 | 13:18 | 17:56 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -18.1° | 320° | Leo | 02:03 | 09:15 | 16:24 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 5.6° | 94° | Pisces | 18:01 | 00:10 | 06:19 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -18.2° | 329° | Cancer | 01:12 | 08:40 | 16:07 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 3.5° | 233° | Libra | 10:19 | 14:42 | 19:05 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -10.2° | 41° | Taurus | 19:58 | 03:41 | 11:29 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 9.1° | 101° | Pisces | 17:40 | 23:40 | 05:41 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:13
BEST TIME23:29S · 44° high
SETS06:00
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:03
BEST TIME09:15S · 57° high
SETS16:24
Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES18:01
BEST TIME00:10S · 44° high
SETS06:19
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:40
BEST TIME13:18S · 24° high
SETS17:56
Reaches about 24° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:12
BEST TIME08:40S · 60° high
SETS16:07
Reaches about 60° 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.
