OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

35.97°N, 139.65°EAsia/Tokyo
Deep Astronomical Night-25.9° (< −18°)
03:48:35
Sat, Oct 24, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 13h 0m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset16:56
Civil Dusk17:22
Nautical17:52
Full Dark18:21
Nadir23:26
Dark Ends04:30
Nautical04:59
Civil Dawn05:29
Sunrise05:55
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Sirius Capella Rigel Betelgeuse Aldebaran Jupiter (-2.0) Saturn (0.3) Mars (1.0) Uranus (5.6)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-3.6°
DISTANCE379,793 km
Moonrise15:33
Moonset03:31
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
92/100
Exceptional Stargazing

Pristine dark skies with clear transparency. Ideal for astrophotography & faint deep sky targets.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-27.9°92°Libra06:0911:1616:29Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Optimal Visibility -2.039.1°101°Leo00:3007:1514:00Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Rising / Setting 0.35.9°268°Pisces16:0822:1304:19Naked Eye
Mars♂ Optimal Visibility 1.047.8°104°Cancer23:4406:4113:38Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-46.7°82°Libra07:4412:4117:43Binoculars
Uranus♅ Optimal Visibility 5.659.1°249°Taurus18:3801:4508:51Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-0.7°270°Pisces15:3921:4403:44Telescope
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
RISES15:33
BEST TIME21:14S · 54° high
SETS03:31
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:30
BEST TIME07:15S · 68° high
SETS14:00
Reaches about 68° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:08
BEST TIME22:13S · 56° high
SETS04:19
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:09
BEST TIME11:16S · 36° high
SETS16:29
Reaches about 36° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES23:44
BEST TIME06:41S · 72° high
SETS13:38
Reaches about 72° 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

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.