OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.06°N, 9.06°WEurope/Dublin

Civil Twilight-5.7° (0° to −6°)

19:02:15

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 13h 52m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:59

Nautical19:39

Full Dark20:18

Nadir01:21

Dark Ends06:23

Nautical07:02

Civil Dawn07:42

Sunrise08:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE16.2°

DISTANCE379,966 km

Moonrise17:09

Moonset06:04

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX26% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

48/100

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 Europe/Dublin

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-11.9°	257°	Libra	08:51	13:14	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.4°	327°	Leo	01:48	09:12	16:32	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Rising / Setting	0.3	9.5°	100°	Pisces	17:57	00:07	06:16	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-16.6°	337°	Cancer	00:54	08:37	16:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-2.1°	239°	Libra	10:32	14:38	18:45	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-4.1°	46°	Taurus	19:37	03:38	11:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	12.5°	107°	Pisces	17:36	23:37	05:38	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

RISES17:09

BEST TIME23:27S · 40° high

SETS06:04

Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:48

BEST TIME09:12S · 52° high

SETS16:32

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:57

BEST TIME00:07S · 39° high

SETS06:16

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:51

BEST TIME13:14S · 20° high

SETS17:39

Only reaches about 20° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:54

BEST TIME08:37S · 56° high

SETS16:19

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.