Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-2.8° (0° to −6°)
18:23:44
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 4m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:05
Civil Dusk18:42
Nautical19:24
Full Dark20:05
Nadir01:07
Dark Ends06:07
Nautical06:49
Civil Dawn07:31
Sunrise08:08
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE12.0°
DISTANCE380,335 km
Moonrise16:54
Moonset05:48
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX19% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
50/100
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 | -9.0° | 252° | Libra | 08:48 | 13:01 | 17:14 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -13.0° | 322° | Leo | 01:26 | 08:58 | 16:26 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 5.6° | 95° | Pisces | 17:42 | 23:53 | 06:04 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -12.5° | 331° | Cancer | 00:28 | 08:23 | 16:16 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -0.6° | 234° | Libra | 10:32 | 14:25 | 18:18 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -4.7° | 41° | Taurus | 19:09 | 03:24 | 11:43 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 8.3° | 102° | Pisces | 17:22 | 23:23 | 05:24 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:54
BEST TIME23:11S · 37° high
SETS05:48
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:26
BEST TIME08:58S · 50° high
SETS16:26
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:42
BEST TIME23:53S · 37° high
SETS06:04
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:48
BEST TIME13:01S · 17° high
SETS17:14
Only reaches about 17° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:28
BEST TIME08:23S · 53° high
SETS16:16
Reaches about 53° 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.
