OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.57°N, 21.67°EEurope/Athens

Deep Astronomical Night-26.6° (< −18°)

20:59:32

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:44

Civil Dusk19:11

Nautical19:42

Full Dark20:13

Nadir01:17

Dark Ends06:22

Nautical06:53

Civil Dawn07:24

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%

ALTITUDE41.1°

DISTANCE379,976 km

Moonrise17:07

Moonset05:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX61% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

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	-31.8°	272°	Libra	08:03	13:12	18:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.6°	357°	Leo	02:16	09:09	15:58	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	33.7°	120°	Pisces	17:58	00:04	06:10	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.8°	7°	Cancer	01:30	08:32	15:37	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-16.9°	257°	Libra	09:44	14:36	19:27	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	6.2°	68°	Taurus	20:22	03:35	10:53	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.2°	128°	Pisces	17:34	23:34	05:35	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

RISES17:07

BEST TIME23:20S · 53° high

SETS05:45

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:16

BEST TIME09:09S · 66° high

SETS15:58

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:58

BEST TIME00:04S · 53° high

SETS06:10

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:03

BEST TIME13:12S · 33° high

SETS18:14

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

RISES01:30

BEST TIME08:32S · 69° high

SETS15:37

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.