OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

27.61°S, 144.38°WPacific/Gambier

Daylight+35.3°

08:37:29

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 18m of true darkness · 11h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:50

Civil Dusk19:14

Nautical19:43

Full Dark20:12

Nadir00:21

Dark Ends04:30

Nautical04:59

Civil Dawn05:28

Sunrise05:52

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE-54.7°

DISTANCE380,058 km

Moonrise16:44

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♀	Optimal Visibility	-4.3	39.4°	91°	Libra	05:33	12:13	18:53	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Optimal Visibility	-2.0	47.6°	351°	Leo	02:41	08:12	13:43	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-44.9°	241°	Pisces	17:08	23:10	05:09	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Optimal Visibility	1.0	42.3°	341°	Cancer	02:14	07:38	13:01	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Visible Low	0.4	21.9°	103°	Libra	06:50	13:38	20:26	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.2°	289°	Taurus	21:26	02:42	07:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-49.2°	231°	Pisces	16:34	22:41	04:43	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

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:00N · 63° high

SETS04:09

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:41

BEST TIME08:12N · 48° high

SETS13:43

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:08

BEST TIME23:10N · 61° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:33

BEST TIME12:13N · 80° high

SETS18:53

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES02:14

BEST TIME07:38N · 45° high

SETS13:01

Reaches about 45° 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.