OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.44°N, 17.74°EEurope/Rome

Astronomical Twilight-14.8° (−12° to −18°)

19:14:41

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:57

Civil Dusk18:25

Nautical18:57

Full Dark19:28

Nadir00:33

Dark Ends05:38

Nautical06:09

Civil Dawn06:41

Sunrise07:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE30.4°

DISTANCE380,144 km

Moonrise16:22

Moonset05:03

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX47% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-20.1°	263°	Libra	07:31	12:28	17:25	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-32.5°	340°	Leo	01:29	08:25	15:17	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.3°	108°	Pisces	17:13	23:20	05:26	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.7°	350°	Cancer	00:42	07:50	14:57	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.2°	248°	Libra	09:05	13:51	18:38	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.0°	58°	Taurus	19:32	02:51	10:13	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.3°	115°	Pisces	16:49	22:50	04:51	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

RISES16:22

BEST TIME22:37S · 52° high

SETS05:03

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:29

BEST TIME08:25S · 64° high

SETS15:17

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

RISES17:13

BEST TIME23:20S · 51° high

SETS05:26

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

RISES07:31

BEST TIME12:28S · 32° high

SETS17:25

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:42

BEST TIME07:50S · 68° high

SETS14:57

Reaches about 68° 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.