Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-0.6° (0° to −6°)
17:58:52
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 13h 53m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:56
Civil Dusk18:31
Nautical19:11
Full Dark19:50
Nadir00:53
Dark Ends05:55
Nautical06:34
Civil Dawn07:14
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%
ALTITUDE11.0°
DISTANCE380,428 km
Moonrise16:40
Moonset05:31
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX18% · 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 | -6.7° | 250° | Libra | 08:25 | 12:47 | 17:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -13.7° | 319° | Leo | 01:19 | 08:44 | 16:05 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 4.1° | 93° | Pisces | 17:29 | 23:39 | 05:49 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -13.6° | 328° | Cancer | 00:24 | 08:09 | 15:53 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 1.7° | 232° | Libra | 10:07 | 14:11 | 18:15 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -7.4° | 39° | Taurus | 19:07 | 03:10 | 11:17 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 7.1° | 100° | Pisces | 17:08 | 23:09 | 05:10 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:40
BEST TIME22:56S · 39° high
SETS05:31
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:19
BEST TIME08:44S · 52° high
SETS16:05
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:29
BEST TIME23:39S · 39° high
SETS05:49
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES08:25
BEST TIME12:47S · 19° high
SETS17:09
Only reaches about 19° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:24
BEST TIME08:09S · 55° high
SETS15:53
Reaches about 55° 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.
