Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Daylight+14.5°
16:17:56
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 8m of true darkness · 12h 56m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:36
Civil Dusk18:01
Nautical18:30
Full Dark18:59
Nadir00:04
Dark Ends05:08
Nautical05:37
Civil Dawn06:06
Sunrise06:31
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE3.9°
DISTANCE380,357 km
Moonrise15:55
Moonset04:34
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX6% · Minimal Lunar Glare
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
40/100
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♀ | Rising / Setting | -4.3 | 9.1° | 241° | Libra | 06:47 | 11:58 | 17:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -18.9° | 304° | Leo | 01:10 | 07:55 | 14:37 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Below Horizon | 0.3 | -5.5° | 84° | Pisces | 16:44 | 22:50 | 05:00 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -21.9° | 313° | Cancer | 00:26 | 07:20 | 14:13 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Visible Low | 0.4 | 20.9° | 224° | Libra | 08:19 | 13:22 | 18:24 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Below Horizon | 5.6 | -28.1° | 31° | Taurus | 19:19 | 02:21 | 09:27 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Below Horizon | 7.8 | -0.4° | 90° | Pisces | 16:20 | 22:20 | 04:25 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:55
BEST TIME22:10S · 59° high
SETS04:34
Reaches about 59° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:10
BEST TIME07:55S · 70° high
SETS14:37
Reaches about 70° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:44
BEST TIME22:50S · 57° high
SETS05:00
Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:47
BEST TIME11:58S · 38° high
SETS17:09
Reaches about 38° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:26
BEST TIME07:20S · 74° high
SETS14:13
Reaches about 74° 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.
