OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.43°N, 12.22°EEurope/Rome

Civil Twilight-4.4° (0° to −6°)

18:35:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 30m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:10

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:16

Full Dark19:51

Nadir00:55

Dark Ends05:59

Nautical06:34

Civil Dawn07:10

Sunrise07:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE17.9°

DISTANCE380,289 km

Moonrise16:44

Moonset05:29

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX28% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

47/100

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/Rome

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-10.2°	255°	Libra	08:08	12:50	17:32	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-22.0°	326°	Leo	01:38	08:47	15:52	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	10.2°	99°	Pisces	17:34	23:42	05:50	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-21.6°	335°	Cancer	00:48	08:12	15:34	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	0.8°	238°	Libra	09:45	14:13	18:42	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-8.2°	47°	Taurus	19:35	03:13	10:55	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	13.8°	106°	Pisces	17:11	23:12	05:13	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

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:59S · 46° high

SETS05:29

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:38

BEST TIME08:47S · 58° high

SETS15:52

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:42S · 45° high

SETS05:50

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:08

BEST TIME12:50S · 26° high

SETS17:32

Reaches about 26° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:48

BEST TIME08:12S · 62° high

SETS15:34

Reaches about 62° 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.