OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

18.08°N, 120.66°EAsia/Manila
Deep Astronomical Night-68.2° (< −18°)
01:06:58
Sat, Oct 24, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 57m of true darkness · 12h 23m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:30
Civil Dusk17:52
Nautical18:17
Full Dark18:43
Nadir23:41
Dark Ends04:40
Nautical05:05
Civil Dawn05:31
Sunrise05:53
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Sirius Capella Rigel Betelgeuse Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mars (1.0) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (92%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE35.7°
DISTANCE380,173 km
Moonrise15:22
Moonset03:46
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX54% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
73/100
Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Below Horizon -4.3-67.9°93°Libra05:5511:3217:14Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-0.7°74°Leo01:1007:3113:55Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Optimal Visibility 0.347.9°251°Pisces16:2622:2904:32Naked Eye
Mars♂ Rising / Setting 1.07.7°74°Cancer00:3106:5713:25Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-86.6°149°Libra07:2412:5718:34Binoculars
Uranus♅ Optimal Visibility 5.677.0°75°Taurus19:3002:0008:31Binoculars
Neptune♆ Optimal Visibility 7.840.4°253°Pisces15:5921:5904:00Telescope
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 · High in the sky
RISES15:22
BEST TIME21:32S · 72° high
SETS03:46
Reaches about 72° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:10
BEST TIME07:31S · 86° high
SETS13:55
Reaches about 86° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:26
BEST TIME22:29S · 73° high
SETS04:32
Reaches about 73° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:55
BEST TIME11:32S · 54° high
SETS17:14
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:31
BEST TIME06:57S · 90° high
SETS13:25
Reaches about 90° 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

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.