Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Deep Astronomical Night-57.4° (< −18°)
21:49:26
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 12h 40m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:30
Civil Dusk17:53
Nautical18:21
Full Dark18:48
Nadir23:50
Dark Ends04:52
Nautical05:19
Civil Dawn05:47
Sunrise06:10
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE63.9°
DISTANCE380,407 km
Moonrise15:35
Moonset04:02
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX83% · Heavy Lunar Wash
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
63/100
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♀ | Below Horizon | -4.3 | -62.0° | 283° | Libra | 06:16 | 11:46 | 17:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -37.7° | 41° | Leo | 01:07 | 07:39 | 14:14 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 61.8° | 154° | Pisces | 16:33 | 22:37 | 04:42 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -29.7° | 46° | Cancer | 00:25 | 07:05 | 13:48 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -44.1° | 267° | Libra | 07:49 | 13:09 | 18:26 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Optimal Visibility | 5.6 | 30.9° | 81° | Taurus | 19:22 | 02:09 | 08:56 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 62.1° | 170° | Pisces | 16:07 | 22:08 | 04:08 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:35
BEST TIME21:45S · 64° high
SETS04:02
Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:07
BEST TIME07:39S · 77° high
SETS14:14
Reaches about 77° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:33
BEST TIME22:37S · 64° high
SETS04:42
Reaches about 64° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES06:16
BEST TIME11:46S · 45° high
SETS17:09
Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:25
BEST TIME07:05S · 81° high
SETS13:48
Reaches about 81° 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.
