OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.21°N, 26.10°EEurope/Athens

Deep Astronomical Night-36.5° (< −18°)

21:28:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 12h 58m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:30

Civil Dusk18:56

Nautical19:26

Full Dark19:55

Nadir01:00

Dark Ends06:04

Nautical06:33

Civil Dawn07:03

Sunrise07:29

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE50.2°

DISTANCE379,866 km

Moonrise16:49

Moonset05:25

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX71% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

67/100

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	-41.6°	277°	Libra	07:39	12:54	18:03	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-39.2°	12°	Leo	02:04	08:48	15:35	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	43.4°	129°	Pisces	17:41	23:46	05:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-33.7°	21°	Cancer	01:20	08:15	15:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-25.7°	262°	Libra	09:15	14:18	19:18	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.9°	74°	Taurus	20:13	03:18	10:26	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	46.3°	139°	Pisces	17:16	23:17	05:17	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

RISES16:49

BEST TIME23:02S · 57° high

SETS05:25

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:04

BEST TIME08:48S · 69° high

SETS15:35

Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:41

BEST TIME23:46S · 56° high

SETS05:52

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:39

BEST TIME12:54S · 37° high

SETS18:03

Reaches about 37° 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 TIME08:15S · 73° high

SETS15:12

Reaches about 73° 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.