OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

51.79°N, 87.28°EAsia/Barnaul
Deep Astronomical Night-49.5° (< −18°)
00:47:22
Sat, Oct 24, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 4m of true darkness · 13h 49m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset18:01
Civil Dusk18:35
Nautical19:14
Full Dark19:53
Nadir00:55
Dark Ends05:57
Nautical06:36
Civil Dawn07:15
Sunrise07:50
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 Rigel Betelgeuse Altair Aldebaran Deneb Saturn (0.3) Mars (1.0) Uranus (5.6) Neptune (7.8) Moon (93%)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION93%
ALTITUDE34.0°
DISTANCE380,021 km
Moonrise16:40
Moonset05:16
HorizonAbove
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX52% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
74/100
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 -4.3-55.9°360°Libra08:1812:5117:16Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-5.1°58°Leo01:2508:4416:06Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Optimal Visibility 0.337.8°201°Pisces17:3323:4205:52Naked Eye
Mars♂ Rising / Setting 1.02.1°63°Cancer00:3008:1015:53Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Below Horizon 0.4-54.7°324°Libra10:0314:1418:21Binoculars
Uranus♅ Optimal Visibility 5.648.1°123°Taurus19:1403:1411:13Binoculars
Neptune♆ Optimal Visibility 7.834.2°209°Pisces17:1223:1305:13Telescope
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
RISES16:40
BEST TIME22:50S · 39° high
SETS05:16
Reaches about 39° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.
JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES01:25
BEST TIME08:44S · 53° high
SETS16:06
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · Good height
RISES17:33
BEST TIME23:42S · 40° high
SETS05:52
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · Good height
RISES08:18
BEST TIME12:51S · 20° high
SETS17:16
Reaches about 20° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES00:30
BEST TIME08:10S · 56° high
SETS15:53
Reaches about 56° 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.