OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

50.80°N, 19.53°EEurope/Warsaw
Deep Astronomical Night-32.7° (< −18°)
21:02:44
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 6m of true darkness · 13h 46m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset17:33
Civil Dusk18:07
Nautical18:45
Full Dark19:23
Nadir00:26
Dark Ends05:29
Nautical06:07
Civil Dawn06:45
Sunrise07:19
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Polaris Vega Capella Altair Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE37.6°
DISTANCE379,740 km
Moonrise16:14
Moonset05:02
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX57% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
72/100
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 -4.3-38.9°292°Libra07:4412:2016:49Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-23.5°12°Leo00:5808:1415:34Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Optimal Visibility 0.333.5°140°Pisces17:0323:1305:22Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-18.6°20°Cancer00:0407:4115:20Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-28.0°271°Libra09:3313:4417:56Binoculars
Uranus♅ Visible Low 5.618.9°80°Taurus18:4902:4410:43Binoculars
Neptune♆ Optimal Visibility 7.834.5°149°Pisces16:4222:4304:43Telescope
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
RISES16:14
BEST TIME22:29S · 41° high
SETS05:02
Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:58
BEST TIME08:14S · 54° high
SETS15:34
Reaches about 54° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:03
BEST TIME23:13S · 41° high
SETS05:22
Reaches about 41° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES07:44
BEST TIME12:20S · 21° high
SETS16:49
Reaches about 21° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:04
BEST TIME07:41S · 57° high
SETS15:20
Reaches about 57° 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.