Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-0.2° (0° to −6°)
18:10:04
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 37m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:10
Civil Dusk18:42
Nautical19:18
Full Dark19:54
Nadir00:58
Dark Ends06:02
Nautical06:38
Civil Dawn07:15
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%
ALTITUDE12.7°
DISTANCE380,386 km
Moonrise16:47
Moonset05:34
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX20% · 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 | -6.2° | 250° | Libra | 08:17 | 12:53 | 17:29 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -17.4° | 319° | Leo | 01:36 | 08:50 | 16:00 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 5.2° | 94° | Pisces | 17:36 | 23:45 | 05:53 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -17.5° | 329° | Cancer | 00:44 | 08:15 | 15:44 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 3.4° | 233° | Libra | 09:56 | 14:16 | 18:37 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -10.0° | 40° | Taurus | 19:30 | 03:16 | 11:05 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 8.7° | 100° | Pisces | 17:14 | 23:15 | 05:16 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:47
BEST TIME23:02S · 44° high
SETS05:34
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:36
BEST TIME08:50S · 56° high
SETS16:00
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
RISES17:36
BEST TIME23:45S · 43° high
SETS05:53
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
RISES08:17
BEST TIME12:53S · 23° high
SETS17:29
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
RISES00:44
BEST TIME08:15S · 60° high
SETS15:44
Reaches about 60° 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.
