Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-1.4° (0° to −6°)
18:24:51
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 42m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:16
Civil Dusk18:49
Nautical19:27
Full Dark20:04
Nadir01:08
Dark Ends06:11
Nautical06:48
Civil Dawn07:26
Sunrise07:59
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE13.3°
DISTANCE380,331 km
Moonrise16:56
Moonset05:45
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 | -7.5° | 252° | Libra | 08:30 | 13:02 | 17:34 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -16.9° | 321° | Leo | 01:42 | 08:59 | 16:13 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.0° | 95° | Pisces | 17:45 | 23:54 | 06:03 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -16.8° | 330° | Cancer | 00:49 | 08:24 | 15:58 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 2.0° | 234° | Libra | 10:10 | 14:26 | 18:41 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -8.4° | 41° | Taurus | 19:34 | 03:25 | 11:20 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 9.3° | 102° | Pisces | 17:24 | 23:24 | 05:25 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:56
BEST TIME23:12S · 42° high
SETS05:45
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:42
BEST TIME08:59S · 55° high
SETS16:13
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
RISES17:45
BEST TIME23:54S · 42° high
SETS06:03
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
RISES08:30
BEST TIME13:02S · 22° high
SETS17:34
Reaches about 22° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:49
BEST TIME08:24S · 58° high
SETS15:58
Reaches about 58° 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.
