OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

46.35°N, 11.30°EEurope/Rome

Nautical Twilight-10.7° (−6° to −12°)

19:16:19

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

Sunset18:14

Civil Dusk18:45

Nautical19:20

Full Dark19:55

Nadir00:59

Dark Ends06:03

Nautical06:38

Civil Dawn07:13

Sunrise07:44

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE23.8°

DISTANCE380,138 km

Moonrise16:48

Moonset05:33

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX37% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

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	-16.5°	262°	Libra	08:11	12:53	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-25.3°	335°	Leo	01:42	08:50	15:55	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	16.4°	106°	Pisces	17:37	23:45	05:53	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-23.9°	345°	Cancer	00:52	08:16	15:38	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-4.6°	245°	Libra	09:49	14:17	18:46	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.3°	54°	Taurus	19:39	03:17	10:58	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	19.8°	113°	Pisces	17:15	23:16	05:16	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

RISES16:48

BEST TIME23:03S · 46° high

SETS05:33

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:50S · 58° high

SETS15:55

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

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:37

BEST TIME23:45S · 45° high

SETS05:53

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

RISES08:11

BEST TIME12:53S · 26° high

SETS17:36

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

RISES00:52

BEST TIME08:16S · 62° high

SETS15:38

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.