LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE8.5°
DISTANCE380,382 km
Moonrise16:45
Moonset05:54
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX14% · Minimal Lunar Glare
Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Civil Twilight-4.6° (0° to −6°)
18:11:17
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 41m of true darkness · 15h 7m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:27
Civil Dusk18:18
Nautical19:14
Full Dark20:10
Nadir01:01
Dark Ends05:51
Nautical06:46
Civil Dawn07:43
Sunrise08:34
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
All-Sky Nocturnal Dome
Click any body to inspect telemetry
ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
52/100
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 | -11.2° | 253° | Libra | 09:40 | 12:54 | 16:09 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -4.9° | 321° | Leo | 00:33 | 08:51 | 17:06 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 4.0° | 95° | Pisces | 17:30 | 23:46 | 06:02 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -3.6° | 330° | Cancer | 23:19 | 08:17 | 17:13 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -5.7° | 233° | Libra | 11:42 | 14:18 | 16:55 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Rising / Setting | 5.6 | 1.9° | 39° | Taurus | 17:37 | 03:18 | 13:02 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 5.5° | 102° | Pisces | 17:16 | 23:17 | 05:18 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:45
BEST TIME23:04S · 28° high
SETS05:54
Reaches about 28° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES00:33
BEST TIME08:51S · 40° high
SETS17:06
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:30
BEST TIME23:46S · 27° high
SETS06:02
Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky
RISES09:40
BEST TIME12:54S · 8° high
SETS16:09
Only reaches about 8° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES23:19
BEST TIME08:17S · 44° high
SETS17:13
Reaches about 44° 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.