Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+4.9°
16:11:59
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 35m of true darkness · 15h 23m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:18
Civil Dusk18:12
Nautical19:12
Full Dark20:11
Nadir00:59
Dark Ends05:46
Nautical06:46
Civil Dawn07:45
Sunrise08:40
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-3.2°
DISTANCE380,379 km
Moonrise16:41
Moonset04:17
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Below Horizon | -4.3 | -1.3° | 227° | Libra | 09:53 | 12:52 | 15:52 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Rising / Setting | -2.0 | 5.2° | 295° | Leo | 00:20 | 08:49 | 17:16 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -7.5° | 68° | Pisces | 17:27 | 23:44 | 06:06 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Rising / Setting | 1.0 | 5.4° | 304° | Cancer | 23:00 | 08:15 | 17:28 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Rising / Setting | 0.4 | 0.8° | 207° | Libra | 12:02 | 14:16 | 16:30 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -1.8° | 13° | Taurus | 17:08 | 03:16 | 13:27 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -6.2° | 75° | Pisces | 17:14 | 23:15 | 05:20 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:41
BEST TIME23:06S · 27° high
SETS04:17
Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES00:20
BEST TIME08:49S · 39° high
SETS17:16
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:27
BEST TIME23:44S · 26° high
SETS06:06
Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES09:53
BEST TIME12:52S · 6° high
SETS15:52
Only reaches about 6° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES23:00
BEST TIME08:15S · 42° high
SETS17:28
Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
