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-66.1° (< −18°)
22:37:25
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 7m of true darkness · 12h 50m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:07
Civil Dusk17:32
Nautical18:01
Full Dark18:29
Nadir23:32
Dark Ends04:36
Nautical05:04
Civil Dawn05:33
Sunrise05:57
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE56.5°
DISTANCE379,723 km
Moonrise15:20
Moonset03:51
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 | -72.5° | 319° | Libra | 06:06 | 11:28 | 16:43 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -24.0° | 53° | Leo | 00:43 | 07:21 | 14:03 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 59.5° | 189° | Pisces | 16:14 | 22:19 | 04:25 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -15.6° | 56° | Cancer | 23:59 | 06:48 | 13:38 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -58.3° | 282° | Libra | 07:40 | 12:51 | 17:59 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Optimal Visibility | 5.6 | 45.6° | 92° | Taurus | 18:54 | 01:51 | 08:47 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 56.1° | 202° | Pisces | 15:49 | 21:50 | 03:50 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:20
BEST TIME21:31S · 60° high
SETS03:51
Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:43
BEST TIME07:21S · 73° high
SETS14:03
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:14
BEST TIME22:19S · 60° high
SETS04:25
Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:06
BEST TIME11:28S · 40° high
SETS16:43
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES23:59
BEST TIME06:48S · 76° high
SETS13:38
Reaches about 76° 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.
