Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-1.3° (0° to −6°)
18:12:14
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 13h 38m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:05
Civil Dusk18:37
Nautical19:14
Full Dark19:50
Nadir00:54
Dark Ends05:57
Nautical06:34
Civil Dawn07:11
Sunrise07:43
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE13.7°
DISTANCE380,378 km
Moonrise16:42
Moonset05:30
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX22% · 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 | -7.3° | 252° | Libra | 08:14 | 12:48 | 17:24 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -17.8° | 321° | Leo | 01:31 | 08:45 | 15:56 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.2° | 95° | Pisces | 17:31 | 23:40 | 05:49 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -17.8° | 330° | Cancer | 00:39 | 08:10 | 15:41 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 2.4° | 234° | Libra | 09:52 | 14:12 | 18:32 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -9.1° | 42° | Taurus | 19:25 | 03:12 | 11:02 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 9.7° | 102° | Pisces | 17:10 | 23:11 | 05:11 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:42
BEST TIME22:58S · 43° high
SETS05:30
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:31
BEST TIME08:45S · 56° high
SETS15:56
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:31
BEST TIME23:40S · 43° high
SETS05:49
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:14
BEST TIME12:48S · 23° high
SETS17:24
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
RISES00:39
BEST TIME08:10S · 59° high
SETS15:41
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.
