Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-2.1° (0° to −6°)
18:14:56
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
Sunset18:02
Civil Dusk18:35
Nautical19:12
Full Dark19:49
Nadir00:52
Dark Ends05:56
Nautical06:32
Civil Dawn07:10
Sunrise07:42
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE14.3°
DISTANCE380,368 km
Moonrise16:40
Moonset05:28
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX23% · 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 | -8.1° | 252° | Libra | 08:13 | 12:46 | 17:21 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -18.0° | 322° | Leo | 01:28 | 08:44 | 15:56 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.9° | 96° | Pisces | 17:30 | 23:39 | 05:48 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -17.8° | 332° | Cancer | 00:36 | 08:09 | 15:40 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 1.7° | 235° | Libra | 09:52 | 14:10 | 18:29 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -8.3° | 43° | Taurus | 19:22 | 03:10 | 11:02 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 10.3° | 103° | Pisces | 17:08 | 23:09 | 05:10 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:40
BEST TIME22:56S · 43° high
SETS05:28
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:28
BEST TIME08:44S · 55° high
SETS15:56
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
RISES17:30
BEST TIME23:39S · 42° high
SETS05:48
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
RISES08:13
BEST TIME12:46S · 23° high
SETS17:21
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
RISES00:36
BEST TIME08:09S · 59° high
SETS15:40
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.
