OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

43.16°N, 12.34°EEurope/Rome

Nautical Twilight-7.8° (−6° to −12°)

18:57:51

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 20m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:15

Civil Dusk18:44

Nautical19:17

Full Dark19:50

Nadir00:55

Dark Ends05:59

Nautical06:32

Civil Dawn07:06

Sunrise07:35

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE22.8°

DISTANCE380,207 km

Moonrise16:44

Moonset05:27

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX36% · 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	-13.4°	258°	Libra	07:59	12:49	17:40	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.9°	330°	Leo	01:45	08:46	15:44	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	14.7°	102°	Pisces	17:34	23:41	05:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.2°	340°	Cancer	00:56	08:11	15:25	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-0.8°	242°	Libra	09:34	14:13	18:52	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-7.3°	51°	Taurus	19:46	03:12	10:43	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	18.6°	109°	Pisces	17:11	23:12	05:12	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

RISES16:44

BEST TIME22:59S · 49° high

SETS05:27

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:45

BEST TIME08:46S · 61° high

SETS15:44

Reaches about 61° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:34

BEST TIME23:41S · 48° high

SETS05:49

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:59

BEST TIME12:49S · 29° high

SETS17:40

Reaches about 29° 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 TIME08:11S · 65° high

SETS15:25

Reaches about 65° 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.