Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+57.4°
13:07:05
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 12h 27m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:19
Civil Dusk18:41
Nautical19:07
Full Dark19:33
Nadir00:32
Dark Ends05:32
Nautical05:57
Civil Dawn06:23
Sunrise06:46
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE-46.7°
DISTANCE379,724 km
Moonrise16:35
Moonset04:16
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° | 196° | Libra | 06:51 | 12:25 | 17:59 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Visible Low | -2.0 | 22.3° | 278° | Leo | 02:00 | 08:23 | 14:46 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -55.9° | 54° | Pisces | 17:14 | 23:18 | 05:25 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Visible Low | 1.0 | 15.5° | 284° | Cancer | 01:20 | 07:48 | 14:17 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Optimal Visibility | 0.4 | 47.9° | 165° | Libra | 08:19 | 13:50 | 19:20 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -41.5° | 326° | Taurus | 20:15 | 02:53 | 09:26 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -51.0° | 64° | Pisces | 16:47 | 22:48 | 04:53 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:35
BEST TIME22:51S · 75° high
SETS04:16
Reaches about 75° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES02:00
BEST TIME08:23S · 85° high
SETS14:46
Reaches about 85° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:14
BEST TIME23:18S · 72° high
SETS05:25
Reaches about 72° 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 TIME12:25S · 52° high
SETS17:59
Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:20
BEST TIME07:48S · 88° high
SETS14:17
Reaches about 88° 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.
