OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

38.63°N, 15.91°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-34.3° (< −18°)

21:02:39

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 7m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:07

Civil Dusk18:34

Nautical19:05

Full Dark19:36

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:45

Nautical06:16

Civil Dawn06:47

Sunrise07:14

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE46.5°

DISTANCE379,740 km

Moonrise16:30

Moonset05:09

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX67% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

68/100

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	-39.7°	279°	Libra	07:26	12:35	17:36	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-36.1°	10°	Leo	01:39	08:29	15:22	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	40.2°	129°	Pisces	17:21	23:27	05:33	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-31.0°	18°	Cancer	00:53	07:55	15:00	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-24.7°	263°	Libra	09:07	13:59	18:50	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	13.5°	74°	Taurus	19:45	02:58	10:16	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.8°	139°	Pisces	16:57	22:57	04:58	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

RISES16:30

BEST TIME22:44S · 54° high

SETS05:09

Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:39

BEST TIME08:29S · 66° high

SETS15:22

Reaches about 66° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES17:21

BEST TIME23:27S · 53° high

SETS05:33

Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:26

BEST TIME12:35S · 33° high

SETS17:36

Reaches about 33° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:53

BEST TIME07:55S · 69° high

SETS15:00

Reaches about 69° 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.