OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.70°N, 12.49°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-23.9° (< −18°)

20:26:42

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 28m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:10

Civil Dusk18:41

Nautical19:15

Full Dark19:50

Nadir00:54

Dark Ends05:58

Nautical06:33

Civil Dawn07:08

Sunrise07:38

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE35.0°

DISTANCE379,875 km

Moonrise16:43

Moonset05:28

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX53% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

73/100

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	-29.6°	275°	Libra	07:57	12:49	17:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-29.3°	355°	Leo	01:39	08:46	15:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.6°	121°	Pisces	17:33	23:41	05:49	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-25.8°	4°	Cancer	00:49	08:09	15:31	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-16.8°	258°	Libra	09:42	14:12	18:43	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	7.2°	67°	Taurus	19:37	03:12	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	31.3°	129°	Pisces	17:10	23:11	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

RISES16:43

BEST TIME22:58S · 46° high

SETS05:28

Reaches about 46° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME08:46S · 59° high

SETS15:49

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

RISES17:33

BEST TIME23:41S · 46° high

SETS05:49

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

RISES07:57

BEST TIME12:49S · 26° high

SETS17:33

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

RISES00:49

BEST TIME08:09S · 62° high

SETS15:31

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.