OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.00°N, 7.51°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-27.0° (< −18°)

21:03:35

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 25m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:31

Civil Dusk19:01

Nautical19:36

Full Dark20:10

Nadir01:14

Dark Ends06:19

Nautical06:53

Civil Dawn07:27

Sunrise07:57

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE37.7°

DISTANCE379,737 km

Moonrise17:03

Moonset05:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

72/100

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	-32.7°	278°	Libra	08:15	13:08	17:55	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.2°	360°	Leo	02:00	09:06	16:08	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	31.5°	125°	Pisces	17:53	00:00	06:08	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.2°	9°	Cancer	01:11	08:29	15:49	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-19.6°	260°	Libra	09:59	14:32	19:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	9.8°	70°	Taurus	19:59	03:32	11:08	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	34.1°	133°	Pisces	17:30	23:31	05:31	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

RISES17:03

BEST TIME23:19S · 47° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:00

BEST TIME09:06S · 59° high

SETS16:08

Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:53

BEST TIME00:00S · 46° high

SETS06:08

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES08:15

BEST TIME13:08S · 27° high

SETS17:55

Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:11

BEST TIME08:29S · 63° high

SETS15:49

Reaches about 63° 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.