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-62.2° (< −18°)
22:14:37
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 43m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:26
Civil Dusk17:50
Nautical18:18
Full Dark18:45
Nadir23:48
Dark Ends04:50
Nautical05:18
Civil Dawn05:45
Sunrise06:09
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE62.5°
DISTANCE379,808 km
Moonrise15:35
Moonset04:06
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 | -67.5° | 293° | Libra | 06:16 | 11:43 | 17:03 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -32.4° | 47° | Leo | 01:03 | 07:36 | 14:14 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 62.5° | 169° | Pisces | 16:30 | 22:35 | 04:39 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -24.2° | 51° | Cancer | 00:20 | 07:03 | 13:47 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -50.4° | 271° | Libra | 07:49 | 13:06 | 18:21 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Optimal Visibility | 5.6 | 37.2° | 84° | Taurus | 19:16 | 02:06 | 08:56 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 61.0° | 185° | Pisces | 16:04 | 22:05 | 04:06 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:35
BEST TIME21:47S · 63° high
SETS04:06
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:03
BEST TIME07:36S · 76° high
SETS14:14
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:30
BEST TIME22:35S · 63° high
SETS04:39
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:16
BEST TIME11:43S · 43° high
SETS17:03
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:20
BEST TIME07:03S · 79° high
SETS13:47
Reaches about 79° 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.
