Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-4.9° (0° to −6°)
18:22:54
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 3m of true darkness · 13h 58m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:50
Civil Dusk18:25
Nautical19:06
Full Dark19:46
Nadir00:48
Dark Ends05:50
Nautical06:30
Civil Dawn07:11
Sunrise07:47
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE14.8°
DISTANCE380,338 km
Moonrise16:36
Moonset05:28
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX24% · 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 | -11.1° | 255° | Libra | 08:24 | 12:43 | 17:01 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -15.6° | 326° | Leo | 01:12 | 08:40 | 16:04 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 8.2° | 99° | Pisces | 17:24 | 23:35 | 05:45 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -14.8° | 335° | Cancer | 00:16 | 08:05 | 15:52 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -2.0° | 237° | Libra | 10:07 | 14:06 | 18:06 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -3.9° | 45° | Taurus | 18:58 | 03:06 | 11:18 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 11.0° | 106° | Pisces | 17:04 | 23:05 | 05:06 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:36
BEST TIME22:52S · 38° high
SETS05:28
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:12
BEST TIME08:40S · 51° high
SETS16:04
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:24
BEST TIME23:35S · 38° high
SETS05:45
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:24
BEST TIME12:43S · 18° high
SETS17:01
Only reaches about 18° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:16
BEST TIME08:05S · 55° high
SETS15:52
Reaches about 55° 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.
