OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

56.95°N, 24.11°EEurope/Riga

Deep Astronomical Night-30.2° (< −18°)

21:46:30

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 14h 15m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:01

Civil Dusk18:40

Nautical19:24

Full Dark20:08

Nadir01:08

Dark Ends06:07

Nautical06:51

Civil Dawn07:36

Sunrise08:15

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE32.1°

DISTANCE379,801 km

Moonrise16:54

Moonset05:48

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX49% · 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/Riga

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-36.7°	297°	Libra	08:51	13:02	17:06	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-17.4°	12°	Leo	01:19	08:56	16:36	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	28.9°	143°	Pisces	17:43	23:54	06:06	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-12.6°	20°	Cancer	00:19	08:23	16:28	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-28.0°	275°	Libra	10:45	14:26	18:07	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	20.1°	82°	Taurus	18:57	03:25	11:58	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	29.3°	151°	Pisces	17:24	23:25	05:25	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 · Good height

RISES16:54

BEST TIME23:10S · 35° high

SETS05:48

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:19

BEST TIME08:56S · 47° high

SETS16:36

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:43

BEST TIME23:54S · 35° high

SETS06:06

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:51

BEST TIME13:02S · 15° high

SETS17:06

Only reaches about 15° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:19

BEST TIME08:23S · 51° high

SETS16:28

Reaches about 51° 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.