OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

45.62°N, 9.37°EEurope/Rome

Deep Astronomical Night-18.7° (< −18°)

20:09:45

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 27m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:23

Civil Dusk18:53

Nautical19:28

Full Dark20:02

Nadir01:07

Dark Ends06:11

Nautical06:45

Civil Dawn07:20

Sunrise07:50

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE31.0°

DISTANCE379,938 km

Moonrise16:56

Moonset05:41

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX48% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-24.4°	269°	Libra	08:17	13:01	17:46	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-28.6°	347°	Leo	01:51	08:58	16:01	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	24.1°	115°	Pisces	17:45	23:53	06:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-26.0°	357°	Cancer	01:02	08:23	15:43	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-11.8°	253°	Libra	09:54	14:25	18:56	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Rising / Setting	5.6	2.7°	62°	Taurus	19:50	03:24	11:03	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	27.2°	122°	Pisces	17:23	23:23	05:24	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

RISES16:56

BEST TIME23:11S · 47° high

SETS05:41

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:51

BEST TIME08:58S · 59° high

SETS16:01

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

RISES17:45

BEST TIME23:53S · 46° high

SETS06:01

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

RISES08:17

BEST TIME13:01S · 26° high

SETS17:46

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

RISES01:02

BEST TIME08:23S · 62° high

SETS15:43

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.