OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

16.59°S, 144.02°WPacific/Gambier

Daylight+24.7°

07:50:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 55m of true darkness · 11h 24m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:00

Nautical19:26

Full Dark19:52

Nadir00:20

Dark Ends04:47

Nautical05:14

Civil Dawn05:40

Sunrise06:02

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-51.3°

DISTANCE380,235 km

Moonrise16:38

Moonset04:09

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Pacific/Gambier

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Visible Low	-4.3	27.6°	102°	Libra	05:49	12:12	18:35	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	58.6°	9°	Leo	02:26	08:10	13:54	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-38.7°	258°	Pisces	17:05	23:09	05:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	55.4°	354°	Cancer	01:56	07:36	13:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	8.7°	109°	Libra	07:09	13:37	20:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	5.3°	294°	Taurus	21:05	02:40	08:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-45.0°	252°	Pisces	16:33	22:39	04:41	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:38

BEST TIME21:59N · 74° high

SETS04:09

Reaches about 74° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:26

BEST TIME08:10N · 59° high

SETS13:54

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:09N · 72° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:49

BEST TIME12:12S · 89° high

SETS18:35

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:56

BEST TIME07:36N · 56° high

SETS13:16

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.