OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

36.73°N, 25.28°EEurope/Athens

Deep Astronomical Night-31.5° (< −18°)

21:08:32

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 2m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:32

Civil Dusk18:58

Nautical19:28

Full Dark19:58

Nadir01:03

Dark Ends06:07

Nautical06:37

Civil Dawn07:08

Sunrise07:34

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE45.8°

DISTANCE379,942 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset05:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX66% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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	-36.6°	275°	Libra	07:45	12:58	18:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-38.4°	5°	Leo	02:05	08:51	15:41	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	38.6°	124°	Pisces	17:44	23:50	05:56	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-33.7°	14°	Cancer	01:20	08:18	15:18	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-21.1°	259°	Libra	09:25	14:21	19:17	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.8°	71°	Taurus	20:12	03:21	10:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	41.9°	133°	Pisces	17:19	23:20	05:21	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

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:05S · 55° high

SETS05:29

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:05

BEST TIME08:51S · 68° high

SETS15:41

Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:44

BEST TIME23:50S · 55° high

SETS05:56

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:45

BEST TIME12:58S · 35° high

SETS18:03

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:20

BEST TIME08:18S · 71° high

SETS15:18

Reaches about 71° 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.