Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-3.1° (0° to −6°)
18:26:07
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
Sunset18:07
Civil Dusk18:40
Nautical19:17
Full Dark19:55
Nadir00:58
Dark Ends06:01
Nautical06:39
Civil Dawn07:16
Sunrise07:49
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE15.0°
DISTANCE380,326 km
Moonrise16:46
Moonset05:35
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 | -9.1° | 254° | Libra | 08:21 | 12:52 | 17:25 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -18.1° | 323° | Leo | 01:33 | 08:49 | 16:03 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 7.7° | 97° | Pisces | 17:35 | 23:44 | 05:53 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -17.7° | 333° | Cancer | 00:40 | 08:15 | 15:48 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 0.8° | 236° | Libra | 10:00 | 14:16 | 18:32 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -7.3° | 44° | Taurus | 19:25 | 03:16 | 11:10 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Visible Low | 7.8 | 11.0° | 104° | Pisces | 17:14 | 23:15 | 05:15 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:46
BEST TIME23:02S · 42° high
SETS05:35
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:33
BEST TIME08:49S · 55° high
SETS16:03
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
RISES17:35
BEST TIME23:44S · 42° high
SETS05:53
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
RISES08:21
BEST TIME12:52S · 22° high
SETS17:25
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
RISES00:40
BEST TIME08:15S · 58° high
SETS15:48
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.
