Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-2.1° (0° to −6°)
18:39:13
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 47m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:26
Civil Dusk19:00
Nautical19:38
Full Dark20:17
Nadir01:20
Dark Ends06:22
Nautical07:01
Civil Dawn07:39
Sunrise08:13
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE13.3°
DISTANCE380,277 km
Moonrise17:08
Moonset05:59
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX21% · 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 | -8.2° | 252° | Libra | 08:47 | 13:14 | 17:42 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -16.2° | 322° | Leo | 01:51 | 09:11 | 16:28 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 6.2° | 95° | Pisces | 17:56 | 00:06 | 06:15 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -15.9° | 331° | Cancer | 00:57 | 08:36 | 16:14 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 1.1° | 234° | Libra | 10:27 | 14:38 | 18:48 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -7.2° | 42° | Taurus | 19:41 | 03:37 | 11:38 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 9.4° | 102° | Pisces | 17:36 | 23:36 | 05:37 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:08
BEST TIME23:24S · 41° high
SETS05:59
Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:51
BEST TIME09:11S · 53° high
SETS16:28
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:56
BEST TIME00:06S · 40° high
SETS06:15
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:47
BEST TIME13:14S · 21° high
SETS17:42
Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:57
BEST TIME08:36S · 57° high
SETS16:14
Reaches about 57° 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.
