OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

39.38°N, 17.06°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-18.6° (< −18°)

19:37:14

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:29

Nautical19:00

Full Dark19:31

Nadir00:36

Dark Ends05:40

Nautical06:12

Civil Dawn06:43

Sunrise07:10

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE34.3°

DISTANCE380,059 km

Moonrise16:25

Moonset05:05

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX52% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

74/100

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	-23.8°	266°	Libra	07:23	12:30	17:30	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-34.6°	345°	Leo	01:33	08:27	15:18	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	26.2°	112°	Pisces	17:16	23:22	05:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-32.2°	356°	Cancer	00:47	07:53	14:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-9.5°	251°	Libra	09:05	13:54	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-0.2°	62°	Taurus	19:38	02:54	10:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	30.1°	119°	Pisces	16:52	22:53	04:53	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

RISES16:25

BEST TIME22:39S · 53° high

SETS05:05

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:33

BEST TIME08:27S · 65° high

SETS15:18

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:16

BEST TIME23:22S · 52° high

SETS05:29

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:23

BEST TIME12:30S · 33° high

SETS17:30

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:47

BEST TIME07:53S · 69° high

SETS14:57

Reaches about 69° 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.