OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

44.17°N, 39.00°EEurope/Moscow

Deep Astronomical Night-37.2° (< −18°)

20:56:03

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 9m of true darkness · 13h 23m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset17:27

Civil Dusk17:56

Nautical18:30

Full Dark19:04

Nadir00:08

Dark Ends05:13

Nautical05:46

Civil Dawn06:20

Sunrise06:49

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE44.3°

DISTANCE379,989 km

Moonrise15:56

Moonset04:35

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX65% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

69/100

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

All times calibrated to Europe/Moscow

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-43.0°	289°	Libra	07:07	12:03	16:51	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-29.5°	16°	Leo	00:56	07:56	15:00	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	39.7°	140°	Pisces	16:47	22:55	05:02	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-24.0°	24°	Cancer	00:07	07:23	14:41	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-29.9°	270°	Libra	08:47	13:27	18:02	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	19.5°	79°	Taurus	18:56	02:26	10:00	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	41.2°	150°	Pisces	16:25	22:25	04:26	Telescope

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

RISES15:56

BEST TIME22:09S · 47° high

SETS04:35

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:56

BEST TIME07:56S · 60° high

SETS15:00

Reaches about 60° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:47

BEST TIME22:55S · 47° high

SETS05:02

Reaches about 47° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES07:07

BEST TIME12:03S · 28° high

SETS16:51

Reaches about 28° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:07

BEST TIME07:23S · 64° high

SETS14:41

Reaches about 64° 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

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

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.