OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

41.29°N, 13.53°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-26.1° (< −18°)

20:31:13

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 14m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:13

Full Dark19:45

Nadir00:50

Dark Ends05:55

Nautical06:27

Civil Dawn06:59

Sunrise07:27

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE39.2°

DISTANCE379,858 km

Moonrise16:39

Moonset05:21

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX59% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

71/100

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	-31.5°	274°	Libra	07:42	12:44	17:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-33.9°	357°	Leo	01:44	08:42	15:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	32.2°	121°	Pisces	17:30	23:36	05:43	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.1°	7°	Cancer	00:56	08:05	15:15	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-17.4°	258°	Libra	09:24	14:08	18:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.0°	68°	Taurus	19:47	03:08	10:33	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	35.4°	129°	Pisces	17:06	23:07	05:07	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

RISES16:39

BEST TIME22:54S · 51° high

SETS05:21

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:44

BEST TIME08:42S · 63° high

SETS15:36

Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:30

BEST TIME23:36S · 50° high

SETS05:43

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:42

BEST TIME12:44S · 31° high

SETS17:40

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

RISES00:56

BEST TIME08:05S · 67° high

SETS15:15

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.