OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

56.66°N, 40.39°EEurope/Moscow

Deep Astronomical Night-27.5° (< −18°)

20:18:59

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM9h 59m of true darkness · 14h 13m total night

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

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset16:56

Civil Dusk17:36

Nautical18:20

Full Dark19:03

Nadir00:03

Dark Ends05:02

Nautical05:46

Civil Dawn06:30

Sunrise07:09

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE30.7°

DISTANCE380,128 km

Moonrise15:49

Moonset04:39

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX47% · Moderate Lunar Glow

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

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

75/100

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	-33.9°	291°	Libra	07:44	11:57	16:02	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-18.2°	7°	Leo	00:16	07:51	15:30	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	27.1°	137°	Pisces	16:38	22:49	05:01	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-13.8°	15°	Cancer	23:16	07:18	15:22	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-24.9°	270°	Libra	09:39	13:21	17:04	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Visible Low	5.6	17.0°	77°	Taurus	17:54	02:21	10:51	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	28.0°	145°	Pisces	16:19	22:20	04:20	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 · Good height

RISES15:49

BEST TIME22:03S · 35° high

SETS04:39

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES00:16

BEST TIME07:51S · 48° high

SETS15:30

Reaches about 48° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · Good height

RISES16:38

BEST TIME22:49S · 35° high

SETS05:01

Reaches about 35° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Low in the sky

RISES07:44

BEST TIME11:57S · 15° high

SETS16:02

Only reaches about 15° above the horizon. An open view is important.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES23:16

BEST TIME07:18S · 51° high

SETS15:22

Reaches about 51° 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.