OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

15.72°N, 106.42°EAsia/Vientiane

Deep Astronomical Night-81.3° (< −18°)

23:07:33

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 55m of true darkness · 12h 19m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:29

Civil Dusk17:50

Nautical18:16

Full Dark18:41

Nadir23:38

Dark Ends04:36

Nautical05:01

Civil Dawn05:26

Sunrise05:48

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION92%

ALTITUDE62.5°

DISTANCE380,396 km

Moonrise15:21

Moonset03:45

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX82% · Heavy Lunar Wash

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

63/100

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 Asia/Vientiane

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-83.7°	248°	Libra	05:48	11:34	17:14	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-27.8°	64°	Leo	01:09	07:27	13:49	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	72.5°	216°	Pisces	16:23	22:26	04:29	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-18.8°	64°	Cancer	00:31	06:54	13:19	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-63.4°	254°	Libra	07:17	12:58	18:35	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Optimal Visibility	5.6	49.3°	76°	Taurus	19:31	01:57	08:23	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	66.2°	229°	Pisces	15:55	21:56	03:57	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

RISES15:21

BEST TIME21:31S · 75° high

SETS03:45

Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:09

BEST TIME07:27S · 89° high

SETS13:49

Reaches about 89° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:23

BEST TIME22:26S · 76° high

SETS04:29

Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES05:48

BEST TIME11:34S · 56° high

SETS17:14

Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:31

BEST TIME06:54N · 88° high

SETS13:19

Reaches about 88° 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.