OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

52.75°N, 4.75°EEurope/Amsterdam

Nautical Twilight-8.8° (−6° to −12°)

19:26:39

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 13h 54m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:28

Civil Dusk19:03

Nautical19:43

Full Dark20:23

Nadir01:25

Dark Ends06:27

Nautical07:07

Civil Dawn07:47

Sunrise08:23

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE18.8°

DISTANCE380,099 km

Moonrise17:13

Moonset06:06

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX30% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

61/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Amsterdam

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-14.9°	260°	Libra	08:58	13:19	17:41	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.3°	332°	Leo	01:51	09:17	16:39	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	12.3°	104°	Pisces	18:01	00:11	06:22	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-17.0°	341°	Cancer	00:56	08:42	16:26	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-5.1°	242°	Libra	10:40	14:43	18:46	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.4°	50°	Taurus	19:38	03:43	11:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	15.1°	111°	Pisces	17:41	23:42	05:42	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · Good height

RISES17:13

BEST TIME23:30S · 39° high

SETS06:06

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES01:51

BEST TIME09:17S · 52° high

SETS16:39

Reaches about 52° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES18:01

BEST TIME00:11S · 39° high

SETS06:22

Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES08:58

BEST TIME13:19S · 19° high

SETS17:41

Only reaches about 19° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:56

BEST TIME08:42S · 55° high

SETS16:26

Reaches about 55° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.