OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

63.98°N, 22.38°WAtlantic/Reykjavik

Daylight+2.3°

17:13:26

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 43m of true darkness · 15h 4m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:42

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:28

Full Dark20:23

Nadir01:14

Dark Ends06:05

Nautical07:00

Civil Dawn07:56

Sunrise08:46

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE1.2°

DISTANCE380,148 km

Moonrise16:58

Moonset06:17

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX2% · Minimal Lunar Glare

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

41/100

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♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-3.9°	237°	Libra	09:49	13:07	16:27	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Rising / Setting	-2.0	0.3°	305°	Leo	00:50	09:05	17:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-3.3°	79°	Pisces	17:44	00:00	06:20	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Rising / Setting	1.0	0.6°	314°	Cancer	23:36	08:30	17:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	0.0°	217°	Libra	11:50	14:32	17:13	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-2.2°	23°	Taurus	17:56	03:31	13:10	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Below Horizon	7.8	-1.7°	86°	Pisces	17:29	23:30	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 · Good height

RISES16:58

BEST TIME23:22S · 29° high

SETS06:17

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

JupiterNaked Eye · Good height

RISES00:50

BEST TIME09:05S · 40° high

SETS17:17

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:44

BEST TIME00:00S · 28° high

SETS06:20

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

RISES09:49

BEST TIME13:07S · 8° high

SETS16:27

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

RISES23:36

BEST TIME08:30S · 44° high

SETS17:22

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.