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-55.7° (< −18°)
21:37:23
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 5m of true darkness · 12h 41m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:25
Civil Dusk17:49
Nautical18:16
Full Dark18:43
Nadir23:46
Dark Ends04:48
Nautical05:15
Civil Dawn05:42
Sunrise06:06
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE63.4°
DISTANCE380,453 km
Moonrise15:30
Moonset03:58
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX82% · 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 | -60.2° | 282° | Libra | 06:13 | 11:41 | 17:03 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -38.5° | 39° | Leo | 01:02 | 07:35 | 14:10 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Optimal Visibility | 0.3 | 60.6° | 150° | Pisces | 16:29 | 22:33 | 04:37 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -30.6° | 44° | Cancer | 00:20 | 07:01 | 13:44 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -42.5° | 266° | Libra | 07:45 | 13:05 | 18:21 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Visible Low | 5.6 | 29.3° | 80° | Taurus | 19:16 | 02:04 | 08:52 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Optimal Visibility | 7.8 | 61.4° | 166° | Pisces | 16:03 | 22:03 | 04:04 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES15:30
BEST TIME21:41S · 63° high
SETS03:58
Reaches about 63° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:02
BEST TIME07:35S · 77° high
SETS14:10
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
RISES16:29
BEST TIME22:33S · 64° high
SETS04:37
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
RISES06:13
BEST TIME11:41S · 44° high
SETS17:03
Reaches about 44° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:20
BEST TIME07:01S · 80° high
SETS13:44
Reaches about 80° 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.
