OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

33.28°N, 44.31°EAsia/Baghdad

Deep Astronomical Night-52.7° (< −18°)

21:35:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 54m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:20

Civil Dusk17:45

Nautical18:14

Full Dark18:43

Nadir23:47

Dark Ends04:51

Nautical05:19

Civil Dawn05:48

Sunrise06:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE58.2°

DISTANCE379,841 km

Moonrise15:35

Moonset04:08

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX79% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

64/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Asia/Baghdad

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-58.1°	291°	Libra	06:23	11:42	16:54	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.2°	36°	Leo	00:55	07:35	14:19	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	55.3°	154°	Pisces	16:28	22:34	04:39	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.7°	41°	Cancer	00:11	07:02	13:55	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-42.1°	271°	Libra	07:58	13:05	18:09	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	29.6°	83°	Taurus	19:05	02:05	09:05	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	55.7°	167°	Pisces	16:03	22:04	04:05	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

RISES15:35

BEST TIME21:47S · 58° high

SETS04:08

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:55

BEST TIME07:35S · 71° high

SETS14:19

Reaches about 71° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:28

BEST TIME22:34S · 58° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES06:23

BEST TIME11:42S · 39° high

SETS16:54

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:11

BEST TIME07:02S · 75° high

SETS13:55

Reaches about 75° 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.