OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.53°N, 13.10°EEurope/Rome

Civil Twilight-5.3° (0° to −6°)

18:41:20

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 18m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:13

Civil Dusk18:42

Nautical19:14

Full Dark19:47

Nadir00:52

Dark Ends05:56

Nautical06:29

Civil Dawn07:02

Sunrise07:31

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE20.7°

DISTANCE380,269 km

Moonrise16:41

Moonset05:23

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX33% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

45/100

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	-10.8°	256°	Libra	07:54	12:46	17:39	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-26.2°	327°	Leo	01:43	08:43	15:40	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.4°	100°	Pisces	17:31	23:38	05:45	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.9°	337°	Cancer	00:55	08:08	15:20	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	1.4°	240°	Libra	09:29	14:10	18:51	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-9.6°	49°	Taurus	19:45	03:09	10:38	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	16.4°	106°	Pisces	17:08	23:08	05:09	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

RISES16:41

BEST TIME22:56S · 50° high

SETS05:23

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:43

BEST TIME08:43S · 62° high

SETS15:40

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:31

BEST TIME23:38S · 49° high

SETS05:45

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:54

BEST TIME12:46S · 29° high

SETS17:39

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

RISES00:55

BEST TIME08:08S · 65° high

SETS15:20

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.