OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

40.69°N, 16.02°EEurope/Rome

Civil Twilight-5.8° (0° to −6°)

18:34:09

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

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

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:04

Civil Dusk18:32

Nautical19:04

Full Dark19:35

Nadir00:40

Dark Ends05:45

Nautical06:16

Civil Dawn06:48

Sunrise07:16

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE22.1°

DISTANCE380,296 km

Moonrise16:29

Moonset05:10

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX35% · 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	-11.2°	256°	Libra	07:38	12:34	17:31	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.2°	328°	Leo	01:35	08:32	15:25	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	13.5°	100°	Pisces	17:20	23:27	05:33	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-27.9°	338°	Cancer	00:48	07:57	15:04	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	1.5°	241°	Libra	09:13	13:58	18:44	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-10.2°	50°	Taurus	19:39	02:58	10:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	17.8°	107°	Pisces	16:56	22:57	04:57	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

RISES16:29

BEST TIME22:44S · 51° high

SETS05:10

Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:35

BEST TIME08:32S · 64° high

SETS15:25

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

RISES17:20

BEST TIME23:27S · 51° high

SETS05:33

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

RISES07:38

BEST TIME12:34S · 31° high

SETS17:31

Reaches about 31° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:48

BEST TIME07:57S · 67° high

SETS15:04

Reaches about 67° 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.