LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE11.6°
DISTANCE380,281 km
Moonrise16:41
Moonset05:50
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX19% · Minimal Lunar Glare
Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.
OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH
Tonight under the Sky
Nautical Twilight-7.9° (−6° to −12°)
18:38:05
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 40m of true darkness · 15h 8m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:23
Civil Dusk18:14
Nautical19:11
Full Dark20:06
Nadir00:57
Dark Ends05:47
Nautical06:43
Civil Dawn07:39
Sunrise08:31
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
65/100
Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.
CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
| PLANET | STATUS | MAGNITUDE | ALTITUDE | AZIMUTH | CONSTELLATION | RISE | TRANSIT | SET | EQUIPMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus♀ | Below Horizon | -4.3 | -14.4° | 259° | Libra | 09:38 | 12:51 | 16:05 | Naked Eye |
| Jupiter♃ | Below Horizon | -2.0 | -6.8° | 329° | Leo | 00:29 | 08:48 | 17:03 | Naked Eye |
| Saturn♄ | Rising / Setting | 0.3 | 7.2° | 102° | Pisces | 17:27 | 23:43 | 05:59 | Naked Eye |
| Mars♂ | Below Horizon | 1.0 | -5.0° | 337° | Cancer | 23:14 | 08:13 | 17:10 | Naked Eye |
| Mercury☿ | Below Horizon | 0.4 | -8.5° | 240° | Libra | 11:39 | 14:15 | 16:50 | Binoculars |
| Uranus♅ | Rising / Setting | 5.6 | 4.1° | 46° | Taurus | 17:32 | 03:14 | 13:00 | Binoculars |
| Neptune♆ | Rising / Setting | 7.8 | 8.6° | 109° | Pisces | 17:12 | 23:13 | 05:14 | Telescope |
The MoonNaked Eye · Good height
RISES16:41
BEST TIME23:01S · 27° high
SETS05:50
Reaches about 27° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES00:29
BEST TIME08:48S · 40° high
SETS17:03
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
RISES17:27
BEST TIME23:43S · 27° high
SETS05:59
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
RISES09:38
BEST TIME12:51S · 8° high
SETS16:05
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
RISES23:14
BEST TIME08:13S · 44° high
SETS17:10
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.