OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

8.54°S, 115.13°EAsia/Makassar

Deep Astronomical Night-67.6° (< −18°)

00:41:35

Sat, Oct 24, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 16m of true darkness · 11h 39m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:35

Nautical19:00

Full Dark19:25

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends04:41

Nautical05:06

Civil Dawn05:31

Sunrise05:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE47.9°

DISTANCE380,268 km

Moonrise15:44

Moonset04:04

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX69% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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 Asia/Makassar

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-61.1°	158°	Libra	05:42	11:54	18:12	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-19.1°	78°	Leo	02:00	07:53	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	60.8°	289°	Pisces	16:51	22:51	04:52	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-11.1°	73°	Cancer	01:28	07:19	13:12	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-58.7°	198°	Libra	07:05	13:23	19:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	51.4°	40°	Taurus	20:34	02:22	08:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	54.2°	281°	Pisces	16:20	22:22	04:23	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

RISES15:44

BEST TIME21:55N · 80° high

SETS04:04

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME07:53N · 67° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 67° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:51

BEST TIME22:51N · 80° high

SETS04:52

Reaches about 80° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:42

BEST TIME11:54S · 81° high

SETS18:12

Reaches about 81° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:28

BEST TIME07:19N · 64° high

SETS13:12

Reaches about 64° 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.