OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

63.93°N, 21.00°WAtlantic/Reykjavik

Daylight+6.2°

16:21:21

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 43m of true darkness · 15h 3m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:37

Civil Dusk18:27

Nautical19:22

Full Dark20:17

Nadir01:09

Dark Ends06:00

Nautical06:55

Civil Dawn07:50

Sunrise08:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE-3.6°

DISTANCE380,344 km

Moonrise16:52

Moonset04:29

HorizonBelow

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

42/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Atlantic/Reykjavik

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Rising / Setting	-4.3	0.1°	227°	Libra	09:43	13:02	16:22	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	4.4°	295°	Leo	00:44	08:59	17:11	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-8.3°	68°	Pisces	17:39	23:54	06:14	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	4.3°	304°	Cancer	23:31	08:25	17:16	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	2.5°	207°	Libra	11:44	14:26	17:08	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.8°	13°	Taurus	17:51	03:25	13:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-6.8°	76°	Pisces	17:24	23:24	05:29	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 · Good height

RISES16:52

BEST TIME23:16S · 29° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES00:44

BEST TIME08:59S · 41° high

SETS17:11

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:39

BEST TIME23:54S · 28° high

SETS06:14

Reaches about 28° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES09:43

BEST TIME13:02S · 8° high

SETS16:22

Only reaches about 8° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES23:31

BEST TIME08:25S · 44° high

SETS17:16

Reaches about 44° 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.