Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-3.3° (0° to −6°)
18:25:11
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 14h 2m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:03
Civil Dusk18:39
Nautical19:21
Full Dark20:02
Nadir01:04
Dark Ends06:05
Nautical06:46
Civil Dawn07:28
Sunrise08:05
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°
DISTANCE380,329 km
Moonrise16:51
Moonset05:45
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 | -9.5° | 253° | Libra | 08:43 | 12:58 | 17:13 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -13.7° | 323° | Leo | 01:24 | 08:55 | 16:22 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.2° | 96° | Pisces | 17:39 | 23:50 | 06:01 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -13.1° | 332° | Cancer | 00:27 | 08:20 | 16:12 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -0.9° | 235° | Libra | 10:27 | 14:22 | 18:17 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -4.5° | 42° | Taurus | 19:08 | 03:21 | 11:38 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 9.0° | 103° | Pisces | 17:20 | 23:20 | 05:21 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:51
BEST TIME23:08S · 38° high
SETS05:45
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:24
BEST TIME08:55S · 50° high
SETS16:22
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:39
BEST TIME23:50S · 37° high
SETS06:01
Reaches about 37° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:43
BEST TIME12:58S · 18° high
SETS17:13
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
RISES00:27
BEST TIME08:20S · 54° high
SETS16:12
Reaches about 54° 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.
