OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.92°N, 8.18°WEurope/Dublin

Daylight+4.6°

17:45:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 51m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:22

Civil Dusk18:56

Nautical19:35

Full Dark20:14

Nadir01:17

Dark Ends06:19

Nautical06:58

Civil Dawn07:38

Sunrise08:13

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE5.4°

DISTANCE380,252 km

Moonrise17:05

Moonset06:00

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX9% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

39/100

Challenging Stargazing

High cloud cover or severe light interference. Recommend bright planetary observation or indoor planning.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Dublin

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-1.2°	243°	Libra	08:47	13:11	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-10.1°	311°	Leo	01:45	09:08	16:28	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Below Horizon	0.3	-1.2°	85°	Pisces	17:53	00:03	06:17	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-10.7°	320°	Cancer	00:51	08:33	16:14	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	6.2°	224°	Libra	10:28	14:35	18:42	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-11.3°	31°	Taurus	19:34	03:34	11:39	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Rising / Setting	7.8	1.7°	92°	Pisces	17:33	23:33	05:34	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 · Good height

RISES17:05

BEST TIME23:24S · 41° high

SETS06:00

Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME09:08S · 53° high

SETS16:28

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:53

BEST TIME00:03S · 40° high

SETS06:17

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:47

BEST TIME13:11S · 20° high

SETS17:36

Reaches about 20° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:51

BEST TIME08:33S · 56° high

SETS16:14

Reaches about 56° 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.