OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.12°N, 18.11°EEurope/Rome

Nautical Twilight-11.0° (−6° to −12°)

18:53:46

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 11m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:56

Civil Dusk18:24

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:27

Nadir00:32

Dark Ends05:36

Nautical06:08

Civil Dawn06:39

Sunrise07:07

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE27.3°

DISTANCE380,222 km

Moonrise16:21

Moonset05:01

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX42% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

57/100

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	-16.3°	260°	Libra	07:28	12:26	17:24	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-31.3°	335°	Leo	01:28	08:23	15:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	18.8°	105°	Pisces	17:12	23:18	05:25	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.2°	345°	Cancer	00:41	07:48	14:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-2.7°	245°	Libra	09:03	13:50	18:37	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-6.3°	55°	Taurus	19:32	02:49	10:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	23.0°	111°	Pisces	16:48	22:49	04:49	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

RISES16:21

BEST TIME22:35S · 52° high

SETS05:01

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:28

BEST TIME08:23S · 64° high

SETS15:15

Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:12

BEST TIME23:18S · 51° high

SETS05:25

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:28

BEST TIME12:26S · 32° high

SETS17:24

Reaches about 32° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:41

BEST TIME07:48S · 68° high

SETS14:54

Reaches about 68° 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.