Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+56.9°
12:09:06
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 0m of true darkness · 12h 30m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:16
Civil Dusk18:38
Nautical19:04
Full Dark19:30
Nadir00:30
Dark Ends05:31
Nautical05:57
Civil Dawn06:23
Sunrise06:45
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-56.8°
DISTANCE379,940 km
Moonrise16:33
Moonset04:15
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 | 50.8° | 175° | Libra | 06:51 | 12:23 | 17:56 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Optimal Visibility | -2.0 | 35.6° | 273° | Leo | 01:57 | 08:21 | 14:45 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -64.1° | 30° | Pisces | 17:12 | 23:16 | 05:24 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Visible Low | 1.0 | 28.6° | 279° | Cancer | 01:16 | 07:47 | 14:17 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 41.5° | 148° | Libra | 08:20 | 13:48 | 19:16 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -32.0° | 314° | Taurus | 20:12 | 02:51 | 09:27 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -61.2° | 46° | Pisces | 16:45 | 22:46 | 04:51 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:33
BEST TIME22:49S · 73° high
SETS04:15
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:57
BEST TIME08:21S · 83° high
SETS14:45
Reaches about 83° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:12
BEST TIME23:16S · 70° high
SETS05:24
Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES06:51
BEST TIME12:23S · 51° high
SETS17:56
Reaches about 51° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:16
BEST TIME07:47S · 87° high
SETS14:17
Reaches about 87° 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.
