OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.32°N, 18.28°EEurope/Rome

Astronomical Twilight-14.8° (−12° to −18°)

19:12:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 12m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:55

Civil Dusk18:23

Nautical18:55

Full Dark19:26

Nadir00:31

Dark Ends05:36

Nautical06:07

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%

ALTITUDE30.5°

DISTANCE380,151 km

Moonrise16:20

Moonset05:00

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX47% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

65/100

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	-20.1°	263°	Libra	07:28	12:25	17:23	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-32.6°	340°	Leo	01:27	08:23	15:15	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	22.4°	108°	Pisces	17:11	23:18	05:24	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-30.8°	350°	Cancer	00:40	07:48	14:54	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-6.2°	248°	Libra	09:02	13:49	18:36	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-3.0°	58°	Taurus	19:31	02:49	10:11	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	26.3°	115°	Pisces	16:47	22:48	04:48	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

RISES16:20

BEST TIME22:34S · 52° high

SETS05:00

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

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:27

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

RISES17:11

BEST TIME23:18S · 51° high

SETS05:24

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 TIME12:25S · 32° high

SETS17:23

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

RISES00:40

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.