Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-3.5° (0° to −6°)
18:37:50
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 39m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:16
Civil Dusk18:49
Nautical19:26
Full Dark20:02
Nadir01:06
Dark Ends06:09
Nautical06:46
Civil Dawn07:23
Sunrise07:56
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE15.8°
DISTANCE380,282 km
Moonrise16:54
Moonset05:42
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX25% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
48/100
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 | -9.5° | 254° | Libra | 08:26 | 13:00 | 17:35 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -19.1° | 324° | Leo | 01:43 | 08:57 | 16:09 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 8.4° | 97° | Pisces | 17:43 | 23:52 | 06:01 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -18.7° | 334° | Cancer | 00:50 | 08:22 | 15:53 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 0.7° | 237° | Libra | 10:05 | 14:24 | 18:43 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -7.4° | 45° | Taurus | 19:36 | 03:23 | 11:15 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 11.8° | 104° | Pisces | 17:22 | 23:23 | 05:23 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:54
BEST TIME23:10S · 43° high
SETS05:42
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:43
BEST TIME08:57S · 55° high
SETS16:09
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
RISES17:43
BEST TIME23:52S · 42° high
SETS06:01
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
RISES08:26
BEST TIME13:00S · 23° high
SETS17:35
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
RISES00:50
BEST TIME08:22S · 59° high
SETS15:53
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.
