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-46.9° (< −18°)
20:31:07
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 39m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:02
Civil Dusk17:26
Nautical17:53
Full Dark18:20
Nadir23:22
Dark Ends04:24
Nautical04:51
Civil Dawn05:18
Sunrise05:41
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE62.3°
DISTANCE380,195 km
Moonrise15:09
Moonset03:38
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX82% · Heavy Lunar Wash
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
63/100
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 | -51.0° | 274° | Libra | 05:46 | 11:17 | 16:41 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -44.6° | 27° | Leo | 00:39 | 07:10 | 13:45 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 55.6° | 133° | Pisces | 16:04 | 22:09 | 04:13 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -37.5° | 35° | Cancer | 23:58 | 06:37 | 13:18 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -32.9° | 261° | Libra | 07:19 | 12:40 | 17:59 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Visible Low | 5.6 | 19.9° | 76° | Taurus | 18:54 | 01:40 | 08:26 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 58.5° | 146° | Pisces | 15:38 | 21:39 | 03:40 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:09
BEST TIME21:20S · 65° high
SETS03:38
Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:39
BEST TIME07:10S · 78° high
SETS13:45
Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:04
BEST TIME22:09S · 65° high
SETS04:13
Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:46
BEST TIME11:17S · 45° high
SETS16:41
Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES23:58
BEST TIME06:37S · 81° high
SETS13:18
Reaches about 81° 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.
