OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.80°N, 22.36°EEurope/Athens

Deep Astronomical Night-39.7° (< −18°)

22:09:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:38

Civil Dusk19:06

Nautical19:38

Full Dark20:10

Nadir01:15

Dark Ends06:19

Nautical06:51

Civil Dawn07:23

Sunrise07:51

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE48.0°

DISTANCE379,715 km

Moonrise17:04

Moonset05:43

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · 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	-45.3°	287°	Libra	08:06	13:09	18:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-32.4°	19°	Leo	02:10	09:03	16:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	43.1°	140°	Pisces	17:54	00:01	06:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.6°	26°	Cancer	01:22	08:30	15:39	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-31.2°	269°	Libra	09:44	14:33	19:19	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	20.1°	79°	Taurus	20:13	03:32	10:56	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	44.7°	150°	Pisces	17:31	23:32	05:32	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

RISES17:04

BEST TIME23:18S · 51° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:10

BEST TIME09:03S · 64° high

SETS16:00

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:54

BEST TIME00:01S · 51° high

SETS06:08

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:06

BEST TIME13:09S · 31° high

SETS18:06

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:22

BEST TIME08:30S · 67° high

SETS15:39

Reaches about 67° 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.