OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.16°N, 20.99°EEurope/Athens

Deep Astronomical Night-34.6° (< −18°)

21:44:16

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 8m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:46

Civil Dusk19:13

Nautical19:44

Full Dark20:15

Nadir01:20

Dark Ends06:25

Nautical06:56

Civil Dawn07:27

Sunrise07:54

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE46.3°

DISTANCE379,809 km

Moonrise17:09

Moonset05:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX67% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Athens

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-40.0°	280°	Libra	08:07	13:15	18:15	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-35.5°	10°	Leo	02:18	09:08	16:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	40.1°	130°	Pisces	18:00	00:07	06:13	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.4°	19°	Cancer	01:32	08:35	15:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-25.2°	263°	Libra	09:49	14:38	19:28	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	14.0°	74°	Taurus	20:23	03:38	10:57	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.7°	140°	Pisces	17:36	23:37	05:38	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:23S · 53° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:18

BEST TIME09:08S · 65° high

SETS16:02

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:00

BEST TIME00:07S · 52° high

SETS06:13

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:07

BEST TIME13:15S · 33° high

SETS18:15

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:32

BEST TIME08:35S · 69° high

SETS15:41

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.