OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.31°N, 11.95°EEurope/Rome

Nautical Twilight-11.7° (−6° to −12°)

19:19:28

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 26m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:43

Nautical19:18

Full Dark19:52

Nadir00:56

Dark Ends06:01

Nautical06:35

Civil Dawn07:09

Sunrise07:40

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE25.2°

DISTANCE380,126 km

Moonrise16:45

Moonset05:30

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX39% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

58/100

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	-17.3°	262°	Libra	08:06	12:51	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.6°	336°	Leo	01:42	08:48	15:50	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	17.6°	106°	Pisces	17:35	23:43	05:51	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.2°	346°	Cancer	00:52	08:13	15:32	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.0°	246°	Libra	09:43	14:15	18:47	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.1°	55°	Taurus	19:40	03:14	10:52	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	21.2°	114°	Pisces	17:12	23:13	05:14	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

RISES16:45

BEST TIME23:00S · 47° high

SETS05:30

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:42

BEST TIME08:48S · 59° high

SETS15:50

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

RISES17:35

BEST TIME23:43S · 46° high

SETS05:51

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

RISES08:06

BEST TIME12:51S · 27° high

SETS17:36

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

RISES00:52

BEST TIME08:13S · 63° high

SETS15:32

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.