Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+55.9°
12:10:16
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 2m of true darkness · 12h 32m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:00
Civil Dusk18:23
Nautical18:49
Full Dark19:16
Nadir00:16
Dark Ends05:17
Nautical05:43
Civil Dawn06:10
Sunrise06:32
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-53.2°
DISTANCE379,936 km
Moonrise16:19
Moonset04:00
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Optimal Visibility | -4.3 | 49.5° | 180° | Libra | 06:39 | 12:09 | 17:40 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Optimal Visibility | -2.0 | 32.1° | 273° | Leo | 01:41 | 08:07 | 14:33 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -60.9° | 36° | Pisces | 16:58 | 23:02 | 05:10 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Visible Low | 1.0 | 25.4° | 280° | Cancer | 01:00 | 07:33 | 14:06 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 42.0° | 153° | Libra | 08:08 | 13:34 | 18:59 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -33.4° | 318° | Taurus | 19:55 | 02:37 | 09:15 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -57.6° | 50° | Pisces | 16:31 | 22:32 | 04:37 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:19
BEST TIME22:35S · 72° high
SETS04:00
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:41
BEST TIME08:07S · 82° high
SETS14:33
Reaches about 82° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:58
BEST TIME23:02S · 69° high
SETS05:10
Reaches about 69° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:39
BEST TIME12:09S · 50° high
SETS17:40
Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:00
BEST TIME07:33S · 85° high
SETS14:06
Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda
Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)Andromeda Galaxy
Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.
M45 · Taurus
Open Star ClusterThe Pleiades (Seven Sisters)
Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.
M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion
Diffuse Emission NebulaGreat Orion Nebula
Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus
Twin Open ClustersThe Double Cluster
Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.
M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules
Globular Cluster (300k stars)Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.
M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra
Planetary NebulaThe Ring Nebula
Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.
