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-46.1° (< −18°)
21:10:11
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
Sunset17:34
Civil Dusk17:58
Nautical18:27
Full Dark18:55
Nadir23:59
Dark Ends05:02
Nautical05:30
Civil Dawn05:59
Sunrise06:23
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE57.9°
DISTANCE380,048 km
Moonrise15:46
Moonset04:18
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 | -50.9° | 281° | Libra | 06:32 | 11:54 | 17:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -39.8° | 26° | Leo | 01:09 | 07:47 | 14:29 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 52.3° | 138° | Pisces | 16:40 | 22:46 | 04:51 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -33.0° | 33° | Cancer | 00:26 | 07:14 | 14:04 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -34.0° | 265° | Libra | 08:06 | 13:17 | 18:25 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Visible Low | 5.6 | 21.5° | 78° | Taurus | 19:21 | 02:17 | 09:17 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 54.5° | 151° | Pisces | 16:15 | 22:16 | 04:16 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:46
BEST TIME21:58S · 60° high
SETS04:18
Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:09
BEST TIME07:47S · 73° high
SETS14:29
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
RISES16:40
BEST TIME22:46S · 60° high
SETS04:51
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
RISES06:32
BEST TIME11:54S · 40° high
SETS17:09
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
RISES00:26
BEST TIME07:14S · 76° high
SETS14:04
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.
