OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.56°N, 8.32°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-28.4° (< −18°)

21:03:49

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:35

Civil Dusk19:03

Nautical19:34

Full Dark20:06

Nadir01:11

Dark Ends06:16

Nautical06:47

Civil Dawn07:19

Sunrise07:47

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE41.3°

DISTANCE379,736 km

Moonrise17:01

Moonset05:42

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX61% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

70/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Rome

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-33.8°	275°	Libra	08:01	13:05	18:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.6°	1°	Leo	02:06	08:59	15:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	34.5°	123°	Pisces	17:50	23:57	06:04	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.5°	10°	Cancer	01:19	08:26	15:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-19.4°	259°	Libra	09:43	14:29	19:15	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	8.8°	70°	Taurus	20:10	03:28	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	37.5°	132°	Pisces	17:27	23:28	05:28	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

RISES17:01

BEST TIME23:15S · 52° high

SETS05:42

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:06

BEST TIME08:59S · 64° high

SETS15:55

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:50

BEST TIME23:57S · 51° high

SETS06:04

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:01

BEST TIME13:05S · 31° high

SETS18:02

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME08:26S · 67° high

SETS15:34

Reaches about 67° 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.