Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Deep Astronomical Night-57.6° (< −18°)
22:27:50
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 53m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:45
Civil Dusk18:10
Nautical18:39
Full Dark19:08
Nadir00:12
Dark Ends05:16
Nautical05:44
Civil Dawn06:13
Sunrise06:39
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE57.8°
DISTANCE380,207 km
Moonrise15:58
Moonset04:28
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX78% · Heavy Lunar Wash
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
64/100
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 | -63.2° | 299° | Libra | 06:48 | 12:07 | 17:20 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -30.7° | 42° | Leo | 01:20 | 08:01 | 14:45 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 57.4° | 165° | Pisces | 16:54 | 22:59 | 05:04 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -22.9° | 47° | Cancer | 00:36 | 07:27 | 14:20 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -47.7° | 275° | Libra | 08:23 | 13:31 | 18:35 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Optimal Visibility | 5.6 | 35.2° | 86° | Taurus | 19:30 | 02:30 | 09:30 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 56.5° | 179° | Pisces | 16:29 | 22:29 | 04:30 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:58
BEST TIME22:08S · 58° high
SETS04:28
Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:20
BEST TIME08:01S · 71° high
SETS14:45
Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:54
BEST TIME22:59S · 58° high
SETS05:04
Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:48
BEST TIME12:07S · 39° high
SETS17:20
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:36
BEST TIME07:27S · 75° high
SETS14:20
Reaches about 75° 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.
